Association between comorbid chronic pain or prior hospitalization for mental illness and substance use treatment among a cohort at high risk of opioid overdose.

Introduction: Chronic pain and serious mental illness increase risk of opioid use, and opioid use can exacerbate both conditions. Substance use disorder (SUD) treatment can be lifesaving, but chronic pain and serious mental illness may make recovery challenging. We evaluated the association between current chronic pain and prior hospitalization for mental illness and 90-day SUD treatment engagement, among emergency department (ED) patients at high risk of opioid overdose.

How do US orthopaedic surgeons view placebo-controlled surgical trials? A pilot online survey study.

Randomised placebo-controlled trials (RPCTs) are the gold standard for evaluating novel treatments. However, this design is rarely used in the context of orthopaedic interventions where participants are assigned to a real or placebo surgery. The present study examines attitudes towards RPCTs for orthopaedic surgery among 687 orthopaedic surgeons across the USA.

The Importance of Patient Expectations: A Mixed-Methods Study of U.S. Psychiatrists.

To examine how psychiatrists think about and modulate non-specific factors (e.g., hope, expectations) in clinical practice.

How orthopedic surgeons view open label placebo pills: Ethical and effective, but opposed to personal use.

Objective: To examine attitudes of Open Label Placebos (OLP) among a national sample of US orthopedic surgeons.

Methods: Orthopedic surgeons across the US were invited to participate in a brief online cross-sectional survey; n = 687 participated. The survey included a short vignette of a surgeon using adjunctive OLPs in addition to opioids for postoperative pain management.

Treating Pain With Open-Label Placebos: A Qualitative Study With Post-Surgical Pain Patients.

Prior research has shown that Open Label Placebos (OLPs; that is, placebos described honestly as inactive pills) are effective for a variety of clinical conditions, including pain. However, little is known about patient attitudes towards OLPs. We conducted qualitative interviews with n = 11 patients (73% female) who recently had hand or wrist surgery and took ≥ 1 opioid pill.