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Journal of General Internal Medicine
Published in: Journal of General Internal Medicine 5/2016

01-05-2016 | Original Research

The Association Between Receipt of Guideline-Concordant Long-Term Opioid Therapy and All-Cause Mortality

Authors: Julie R. Gaither, PhD, MPH, RN, Joseph L. Goulet, PhD, William C. Becker, MD, Stephen Crystal, PhD, E. Jennifer Edelman, MD, MHS, Kirsha Gordon, MPhil, MS, Robert D. Kerns, PhD, David Rimland, MD, Melissa Skanderson, MSW, Amy C. Justice, MD, PhD, David A. Fiellin, MD

Published in: Journal of General Internal Medicine | Issue 5/2016

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ABSTRACT

Purpose

For patients receiving long-term opioid therapy (LtOT), the impact of guideline-concordant care on important clinical outcomes—notably mortality—is largely unknown, even among patients with a high comorbidity and mortality burden (e.g., HIV-infected patients). Our objective was to determine the association between receipt of guideline-concordant LtOT and 1-year all-cause mortality.

Methods

Among HIV-infected and uninfected patients initiating LtOT between 2000 and 2010 through the Department of Veterans Affairs, we used Cox regression with time-updated covariates and propensity-score matched analyses to examine the association between receipt of guideline-concordant care and 1-year all-cause mortality.

Results

Of 17,044 patients initiating LtOT between 2000 and 2010, 1048 patients (6%) died during 1 year of follow-up. Patients receiving psychotherapeutic co-interventions (hazard ratio [HR] 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.51–0.75; P < 0.001) or physical rehabilitative therapies (HR 0.81; 95% CI 0.67–0.98; P = 0.03) had a decreased risk of all-cause mortality compared to patients not receiving these services, whereas patients prescribed benzodiazepines concurrent with opioids had a higher risk of mortality (HR 1.39; 95% CI 1.12–1.66; P < 0.001). Among patients with a current substance use disorder (SUD), those receiving SUD treatment had a lower risk of mortality than untreated patients (HR 0.47; 95% CI 0.32–0.68; P = < 0.001). No association was found between all-cause mortality and primary care visits (HR 1.12; 95% CI 0.90–1.26; P = 0.32) or urine drug testing (HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.78–1.17; P = 0.67).

Conclusions

Providers should use caution in initiating LtOT in conjunction with benzodiazepines and untreated SUDs. Patients receiving LtOT may benefit from multi-modal treatment that addresses chronic pain and its associated comorbidities across multiple disciplines.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
The Association Between Receipt of Guideline-Concordant Long-Term Opioid Therapy and All-Cause Mortality
Authors
Julie R. Gaither, PhD, MPH, RN
Joseph L. Goulet, PhD
William C. Becker, MD
Stephen Crystal, PhD
E. Jennifer Edelman, MD, MHS
Kirsha Gordon, MPhil, MS
Robert D. Kerns, PhD
David Rimland, MD
Melissa Skanderson, MSW
Amy C. Justice, MD, PhD
David A. Fiellin, MD
Publication date
01-05-2016
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of General Internal Medicine / Issue 5/2016
Print ISSN: 0884-8734
Electronic ISSN: 1525-1497
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-015-3571-4

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