The Association of Prescriber Awareness of Opioid Consumption Trends with Postoperative Opioid Prescription Volume in Hip Arthroscopy: Prescriber Awareness of Opioid Consumption

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of prescriber knowledge of 6-week postoperative opioid usage trends on postoperative opioid prescribing in hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome. METHODS: Two groups of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome with the same 2 surgeons were defined. One group preceded study design and implementation and 1 group was after study completion termed the preawareness group (n = 129) and awareness group (n = 130). Baseline clinical and operative characteristics and cumulative 6-week postoperative opioid prescription amount in oral morphine equivalents (OMEs), initial discharge OMEs, and cumulative 6-week postoperative opioid refills were recorded. Multivariable models were constructed to evaluate the impact of provider awareness of opioid usage along with the other baseline characteristics previously mentioned on the outcomes of postoperative opioid prescribing. RESULTS: Preawareness group (365.8 additional OMEs; 95% confidence interval [CI], 132.6-599; P = .002), preoperative opioid usage (506.2 additional OMEs; 95% CI, 268.0-744.3; P < .001), postoperative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (-664.6 additional OMEs; -1002.6 to -326.6; P < .001), and Caucasian race (-597.5 additional OMEs; 95% CI, -914.8 to -280.2; P < .001) were significantly associated with 6-week postoperative opioid prescribing. Caucasian race (odds ratio, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.18-0.86; P = .02) was associated with lower odds of additional postoperative opioid prescriptions whereas preoperative opioid usage (odds ratio, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.4-4.36; P = .002) was associated with increased odds of additional postoperative opioid prescriptions. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in the awareness group received significantly lower opioid volume without an increase in overall prescription numbers. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, prognostic, retrospective comparative study.