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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is asking physicians to weigh in on what resources they need in an Opioid Toolkit for Primary Care. To better inform this project, a needs assessment survey has been created to determine what primary care clinicians need most in an opioid toolkit. To provide input on the creation of the toolkit, please complete the MDHHS survey at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X6Y2PZX
As background, in 2016, 13 states, including Michigan, received Prescription Drug Overdose: Data-Driven Prevention grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The grant, which is being administered by MDHHS, is to be used to address the ongoing opioid crisis using primary prevention approaches over a three-year period. A group of stakeholders assembled by MDHHS, the PDO Prevention Stakeholder Group in Michigan, created an action plan with two overarching goals:
- Enhance coordination of systems of surveillance around opioids
- Improve provider prescribing practices for opioids
The strategy for achieving the second goal is to increase provider uptake of evidence-based guidelines, such as the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, by increasing access to education, training and outreach opportunities. One aspect of that strategy is the creation of an opioid toolkit for primary care providers that would help them better serve their patients with chronic pain.
MDHHS has contracted with the University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center (UMIPC) to create this opioid toolkit for primary care. UMIPC will use the results from the above-mentioned survey to create toolkits that will be ready for distribution in 2019.