Opioid Intake and Quality of Life After Hospital Discharge From Major Surgery: A Health Economic Evaluation
Authors' conclusion
Three analyses using different assumptions showed that, among opioid naïve patients undergoing inpatient surgery, greater postoperative opioid consumption among surgical patients was associated with reduced health-related quality of life.
Study context
- Population
- Opioid-naïve adults undergoing inpatient surgery at 2 US hospitals, 2022–2023, followed weekly for 28 days after discharge2,292 pairwise observations
- Participants
- 606 adults
- Exposure
- Postoperative opioid use (MME) vs health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L) after discharge
- Outcome
- Association between postoperative opioid use (MME) and EQ-5D-5L utility value
- Follow-up
- 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days after discharge
Methodological detailshealth economic evaluation, longitudinal, 2 US hospitals, smartphone-based surveys
- Health economic evaluation
- Longitudinal
- 2 US hospitals
- Smartphone-based surveys
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Reduction in EQ-5D-5L utility per 1-unit increase in square root of MME (SE 0.0011, P < .0001)
0.0108
Predicted mean improvement in EQ-5D-5L utility per week if no opioids after discharge (SE 0.0044)
0.0436
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Mean EQ-5D-5L vs mean MME among weeks, controlling for procedural specialty (sensitivity analysis #1)
- Reduction in EQ-5D-5L per 1-unit increase in square root of MME (SE 0.0026, P < .0001)
- 0.0166
Partial Kendall tau b between EQ-5D-5L and MME by week (sensitivity analysis #2)
- Less opioid use associated with greater health-related quality of life; 4 Bonferroni-adjusted P values
- P ≤ 0.0040
Original publication
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