Table 2.
Association between Self-Reported Past Year Opioid Reduction and Change in Patient-Reported Outcomes from Baseline to 18-Month Follow-up
| Involuntary opioid reduction | Voluntary opioid reduction | No opioid reduction | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary outcome | ||||
| Pain severity (PEG), mean (95% CI)* | ||||
| Baseline | 7.1 (6.7, 7.5) | 6.7 (6.4, 7.1) | 7.1 (6.7, 7.4) | 0.32 |
| 12 months | 7.3 (6.9, 7.6) | 6.7 (6.3, 7.1) | 7.0 (6.6, 7.3) | --- |
| 18 months | 7.0 (6.6, 7.46) | 6.3 (5.88, 6.71) | 6.8 (6.4, 7.2) | --- |
| Change from baseline | − 0.05 (− 0.38, 0.28) | − 0.44 (− 0.78, − 0.09) | − 0.23 (− 0.57, 0.11) | 0.28 |
| Secondary outcomes | ||||
| Pain intensity, mean (95% CI)* | ||||
| Baseline | 6.9 (6.5, 7.2) | 6.6 (6.3, 6.9) | 6.9 (6.6, 7.2) | 0.35 |
| 12 months | 7.1 (6.8, 7.5) | 6.7 (6.4, 7.0) | 6.9 (6.5, 7.2) | --- |
| 18 months | 6.8 (6.4, 7.2) | 6.1 (5.7, 6.5) | 6.5 (6.1, 6.8) | --- |
| Change from baseline | − 0.12 (− 0.41, 0.16) | − 0.50 (− 0.82, − 0.18) | − 0.41 (− 0.7, − 0.11) | 0.20 |
| Interference with enjoyment, mean (95% CI)* | ||||
| Baseline | 7.2 (6.7, 7.7) | 6.7 (6.2, 7.3) | 7.3 (6.8, 7.7) | 0.32 |
| 12 months | 7.1 (6.6, 7.7) | 6.7 (6.2, 7.3) | 7.0 (6.5, 7.5) | --- |
| 18 months | 7.2 (6.7, 7.7) | 6.3 (5.8, 6.8) | 6.9 (6.4, 7.5) | --- |
| Change from baseline | 0.03 (− 0.46, 0.52) | − 0.41 (− 0.9, 0.09) | − 0.31 (− 0.86, 0.23) | 0.43 |
| Interference with general activity, mean (95% CI)* | ||||
| Baseline | 7.2 (6.8, 7.6) | 6.9 (6.5, 7.3) | 7.1 (6.7, 7.5) | 0.55 |
| 12 months | 7.5 (7.1, 8.0) | 6.7 (6.2, 7.2) | 7.1 (6.7, 7.5) | --- |
| 18 months | 7.1 (6.6, 7.6) | 6.5 (5.3, 7.0) | 7.1 (6.6, 7.6) | --- |
| Change from baseline | − 0.06 (− 0.47, 0.36) | − 0.41 (− 0.91, 0.1) | 0.03 (− 0.4, 0.45) | 0.41 |
| Health-related quality of life, mean (95% CI)† | ||||
| Baseline | 3.9 (3.8, 4.1) | 3.7 (3.5, 3.9) | 4.0 (3.8, 4.1) | 0.11 |
| 12 months | 4.0 (3.8, 4.1) | 3.7 (3.5, 3.9) | 3.9 (3.8, 4.1) | --- |
| 18 months | 3.9 (3.7, 4.1) | 3.6 (3.4, 3.8) | 4.0 (3.8, 4.1) | --- |
| Change from baseline | − 0.02 (− 0.19, 0.14) | − 0.12 (− 0.3, 0.06) | 0 (− 0.13, 0.13) | 0.56 |
CI, confidence interval; PEG, Pain, Enjoyment and General activity scale
*Pain intensity/interference assessed with three-item PEG scale (N = 290)
†Health status assessed with a single question from the Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12) (N = 280). Response options were excellent (1), very good (2), good (3), fair (4), and poor (5)