Patient Education and Use of Post Operative Pain Medication in Ambulatory Hand Surgery: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Patient Education and Use of Postoperative Pain Medication in Ambulatory Hand Surgery: a Randomized Controlled Trial

There is a current opioid epidemic in the United States partially fueled by excess prescribing practices after surgery. The objective of this study is to decrease the amount of opioids needed after ambulatory hand surgery. In this randomized control trial, patients will be randomized into a patient education group and into a control group. The education group will be provided with a pre-operative video detailing proper indications for opioid use after hand surgery, alternative pain management strategies to try before using prescription opioid medications, and side effects associated with opioid use. Patients will also receive information on the current opioid epidemic. Patients will be reminded of the information given pre-operatively after surgery in the post-anesthesia care unit. The control group will not receive pre-operative education and will only receive standard of care post-operative counseling by nursing in the post-anesthesia care unit. All patients will be given a pain log, pain medication diary and participate in phone/email surveys to determine number of opioid pills taken, pain levels, and satisfaction with surgery. The investigators hypothesize that the education group will have decreased opioid intake and increased patient satisfaction compared to the control group.

Inclusion Criteria:

• English Speaking: must be able to communicate over the phone or by email to perform questionnaires
• Primary elective ambulatory hand surgery (bony or soft tissue)

Bony: Scaphoidectomy/ligament reconstruction tendon interposition (LRTI), Arthrodesis, Arthroplasty Soft Tissue: Carpal tunnel release (CTR), Trigger Finger (TF), DeQuervain's (DQ), Cyst removal, Cubital tunnel, Dupuytren's, tendon transfer, arthroscopy of wrist or elbow

Exclusion Criteria:

• Disability or preop pain in ipsilateral upper extremity from a secondary condition not related to the study procedure
• Allergy or inability to consume oxycodone, Percocet or Vicodin due to a particular health state
• Current Substance Abuse
• HSS employees