PRescribing INterventions for Chronic Pain Via the Electronic Health Record Study - Primary Care Providers

PRescribing INterventions for Chronic Pain Via the Electronic Health Record Study - Primary Care Providers

The objective of this research is to assess the effects of electronic health record (EHR)-based decision support tools on primary care provider (PCP) decision-making around pain treatment and opioid prescribing. The decision support tools are informed by principles of "behavioral economics," whereby clinicians are "nudged," though never forced, towards guideline-concordant care.

To test the effects of these decision support tools for improving the quality of care for pain treatment, the investigators will implement a pragmatic clinic-randomized trial across the primary care clinics of Fairview Medical Group and University of Minnesota Physicians.

The study has two parallel components. The decision support tools to be tested will differ somewhat depending on whether a given patient is opioid-naïve, or whether a given patient is a current opioid-user. Four sets of analyses will be conducted separately: one for the opioid-naïve group using EHR data, one for the current opioid-user group using EHR data, one at the PCP-level using web survey data, and one at the PCP-level using MN Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) data.

Inclusion Criteria:

- All primary care providers from all of the Fairview and University of Minnesota Physicians study clinics

Exclusion Criteria:

- Primary care providers who work less than 20% full time equivalent (FTE)