The Pain Research Enrichment Program (PREP): Developing an immersive program for research assistants at an academic medical center.

Research experience is often important for academic and career development. This paper describes the implementation and impact of a training program for temporary research assistants (RAs) at an academic medical center. The program includes a 9-month didactic lecture series covering research and professional development skills, a Quality Improvement project focused on improving research processes, and manuscript writing.

Medicaid Insurance Predicts Increased Postoperative Care Encounters Among Patients on Long-Term Opioid Therapy.

Objective: This study examined the association between insurance type and postoperative unplanned care encounters among patients on long-term opioid therapy prior to surgery.

Summary Background Data: Preoperative long-term opioid therapy is associated with unique risks and poorer outcomes following surgery. To date, the extent to which insurance coverage influences postoperative outcomes in this population remains unclear.

Financial model for a transitional pain service at a large tertiary academic center in the USA.

Approximately 1 in 10 patients undergoing surgery is considered at high risk for poor pain and opioid-related outcomes due to chronic pain or persistent opioid use prior to surgery, leading to increased hospital lengths of stay, emergency department visits, hospital readmissions, and worse long-term outcomes. Multidisciplinary transitional pain services (TPSs) have been shown to effectively identify and optimize high-risk patients before surgery, leading to a reduction in healthcare utilization. We conducted a series of semistructured interviews, a literature search, and a financial analysis to develop a reproducible business case for establishing a TPS.