Brief Provider Education is Associated with Decreased ED Visits by Super-utilizers.

Background: Millions of adult visits to emergency departments (EDs) each year are opioid-related, and those who visit with chronic pain are more likely to be super-utilizers (SUs) of the ED. Although SUs comprise 5% of the general population, they account for 50% of health care expenditure.

Objective: Determine whether brief provider opioid education results in decreased number of SUs and total ED visits by SUs.

Brief Provider Education is Associated With Decreased ED Visits by Super-Utilizers.

Introduction: Prior studies have demonstrated that the use of opioids in an Emergency Department (ED) increases the chances of a 30-day return to the ED for similar diagnoses. Super-utilizers (SUs) of the EDs tax the ED resources, resulting in sub-optimal outcomes for these patients. Most physicians receive sub-optimal formal training on pain and opioid prescribing.

Use of Motivational Interviewing Techniques by Student Volunteers to Reduce Substance Use in Coyote Clinic Patients.

Introduction: Nationally, free clinics report 18.5% of clients have a substance use disorder but few clinics have treatment resources on site. In 2014, 63,000 people in South Dakota needed but did not receive treatment for substance abuse.