JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Over-prescription of opioids has led to increased misuse of opioids, resulting in higher rates of overdose. The workplace can play a vital role in an individual’s intentions to misuse prescription opioids, with injured workers being prescribed opioids at a rate three times the national average. This growing crisis has brought about a critical need for effective opioid misuse prevention interventions for workers in industries with high rates of injuries and opioid dispensing.

Objective:

This pilot study assessed the effects of a mobile-friendly intervention prototype tailored for workers in industries with higher risks of opioid misuse.

Methods:

Thirty-three healthcare practitioners participated in the pilot intervention which included ten brief online lessons aimed at impacting psychosocial measures that underlie opioid misuse. Using a treatment-only design, pretest and posttest surveys were collected.

Results:

Participants showed significant changes across all psychosocial variables. Participants saw improvements in knowledge of opioids, attitudes toward opioids, communication with providers, pain management control, and intentions to avoid opioid use.

Conclusions:

While the opioid crisis has been broadly addressed through public health policies and initiatives, opioid supply has been only modestly impacted and overdoses continue to rise. Certain industries place workers at greater risk for opioid misuse. Interventions targeting high-risk employee populations have the potential to influence opioid use and misuse. Results from this pilot study lack generalizability but provide insight for future development and evaluation of mobile-friendly eHealth interventions for employees.