Engaging youth in the design of prescription opioid safety education for schools.

BACKGROUND: Opioid misuse continues to be a major concern in the United States, affecting both adults and adolescents. Unfortunately, even legitimate prescription opioid misuse in adolescence increases the risk for misuse later in life. Although adolescence is a critical period for learning, little is known about adolescents' preferences for opioid safety education. One potential avenue for prescription opioid education is the use of serious games. Serious games can result in better health outcomes and understanding for adolescents and allow them to safely experience real-life scenarios. However, few studies have examined the use of serious games for adolescent opioid education. OBJECTIVE: This study explored adolescents' preferences for prescription opioid education and design of a serious game focused on opioid safety education. METHODS: A focus group guide was adapted from 2 statewide surveys about participants' perspectives on opioids. Recruitment packets with consent documents and an introduction to the study were sent home to eligible students. Ten focus groups were conducted with 68 middle and high school students in Wisconsin. Adolescents were asked to discuss their preferences for prescription opioid safety education and to design a serious game to educate teens about opioid safety. Focus groups were audio-recorded, professionally transcribed, and underwent content and thematic analyses using NVivo 12 software. RESULTS: Three preferred approaches for opioid safety education were identified, including the use of presentations, videos and websites, and serious games. Adolescents desired short presentations delivering personal stories to smaller audiences. They preferred websites and brief, engaging videos from reliable sources because of ease of access. Adolescents also preferred serious games for opioid education that were realistic and relatable. CONCLUSION: When educating adolescents on prescription opioids, the use of presentations, particularly personal stories, brief and engaging websites and videos, or serious games with realistic and relatable scenarios should be incorporated.

Development of the Adolescent Opioid Safety and Learning (AOSL) scale using exploratory factor analysis.

BACKGROUND: While adolescents in the United States are one of the most affected groups by the opioid crisis, their perceptions on opioid misuse and preferences for education are rarely studied. Although it is critical to educate adolescents on proper opioid use and storage, many educational tools need easy measurement scales to systematically document learning of targeted programs. It is essential to understand adolescents' knowledge about opioid risks and perceptions about the opioid crisis to design effective preventive interventions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop an effective scale that measures adolescents' knowledge about opioid misuse and interest in learning about prescription opioid safety. METHODS: Using survey data from 188 high school students in the Midwest, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the underlying structure of an initial 68 items. Items were adapted from a statewide survey previously designed to document awareness of prescription drug misuse and abuse in the state of Wisconsin. Refinement of the scale used factor analysis iterations and internal consistency measures. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine internal consistency among the items. RESULTS: Three exploratory factor analysis iterations resulted in a 16-item four-factor structure describing adolescents' knowledge of misuse and harm, their interest in learning about prescription opioids, and their tendency to practice misuse behaviors. Internal consistency and the correlation among factors were examined and strong (Cronbach's α > 0.8). The final 16-item instrument was termed the Adolescent Opioid Safety and Learning (AOSL) Scale. CONCLUSIONS: When combined with adolescent opioid education tools, the AOSL Scale can help assess and document medication safety learning. The four subscales could support researchers and practitioners in measuring adolescents' orientation towards prescription opioid misuse. The AOSL Scale may also be used in developing targeted educational materials on prevention of opioid misuse for adolescents.

Adolescents' Perspectives on Prescription Opioid Misuse and Medication Safety.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored adolescents' perspectives on prescription opioids, opioid safety and misuse, and sources of opioid information. METHODS: High school students participated in focus groups that elicited information about adolescent perspectives on prescription opioids and opioid safety. Demographic information was collected. Focus groups consisted of 5 to 8 student participants and 2 moderators. Focus groups were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. Transcript content was thematically analyzed using NVivo. RESULTS: A total of 54 high school students (59% female, 44% white, 44% Latino) participated in 8 focus groups. Participants ranged from ages 14 to 18 years and grades 9 to 12. Five major themes emerged: 1) perceptions of prescription opioids and misuse; 2) prevalence of prescription opioid misuse; 3) reasons for prescription opioid misuse; 4) consequences of prescription opioid misuse; and 5) sources of medication information. Participants identified examples of misuse and reasons for and consequences of teen opioid misuse, including mental and physical health challenges, peer and family influences, and addiction. Sources of opioid-related information included family, peers, online Web sites, and television shows. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents had some knowledge pertaining to prescription opioids, but they had misconceptions related to safety. Participants were aware of safety risks and negative consequences of misuse. Adolescents obtained medication information from various sources, including health care professionals, family and peers, and online sources. Educational efforts that target adolescents should provide opportunities for addressing misconceptions about safe and responsible use of medications.

Strategies first year doctor of pharmacy students use to promote well-being.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study is to assess strategies that first-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students utilize to manage stress and promote well-being throughout the program. METHODS: Participants included students at a university in an urban Midwestern region. Students were enrolled in the second semester of their first year of a four-year PharmD program. Students were participating in a social and administrative sciences course in which they were required to write a two-page reflection before a small group discussion and lecture on their overall well-being while in pharmacy school. Open and axial coding was conducted on these reflections using a standard content analysis approach of qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 49 pharmacy students reported multiple strategies to help cope with stressors of a PharmD program and improve their well-being. Four themes emerged, including: (1) availability and accessibility of institutional resources, (2) personal time management and organizational strategies, (3) personal mental and physical health strategies, and (4) activities that maintain social relationships. CONCLUSIONS: First-year pharmacy (P1) students are actively thinking about and participating in activities to promote personal well-being, manage extreme stress, and proactively prevent the detrimental effects of burnout. P1 students were aware of the need to incorporate specific strategies into their daily routine to aid in their overall well-being and experience during pharmacy school. Colleges and schools of pharmacy can use the findings of this study to understand strategies students currently use to identify approaches for supporting student needs and any gaps in wellness resources.

How Does Your Practice Measure Up? Insights from Benchmarking Medicare Payments.

Physician practices have historically had difficulty benchmarking their services because there are limits to the transfer of payment information among healthcare providers. Using standard analysis tools (e.g., Microsoft Excel) and data from CMS, we outline and provide a detailed example of how a physician practice can benchmark one revenue stream within its local geographic market. The data cover patients serviced under original Medicare from 2012 to 2014. In today's healthcare environment, with changing payment methodologies, understanding the revenue streams for a physician practice is essential to a practice's overall financial health.