Table 1.

Hypotheses investigated by the survey.

Topic	Hypothesis
General quality of life	Patients experience a worsening across various aspects of their lives (including sexual function and social life)
OST management	Patients are not completely satisfied that OST manages opioid dependence and cravings Patients see the value of their OST but can find it difficult to stick to their prescribed regimen Patients suffer side-effects from OST but they are not always warned about these by their doctor (either at initial or repeat prescription visits) There are multiple ways in which patients interfere with their OST, including relapsing to heroin/street drugs Specifically, side-effects from OST can lead to patients interfering with their prescribed regimen
Experience of OIC	OIC significantly impacts the quality of life of patients with OST OIC can make it more difficult for a patient to stick to their OST regimen and to control their craving OIC can also directly cause patients to interfere with their opioids The greater the impact of OIC the greater the interference and dissatisfaction with OST
OIC journey and treatments	Patients are rarely prescribed something for their OIC, even if it is discussed with the doctor Despite having OIC, patients are often not formally diagnosed with the condition There are many steps patients take to address their OIC but they often do not take action immediately Current methods for managing OIC are suboptimal; even if patients report satisfaction, they may still experience issues on laxatives Patients do not always speak to a doctor about OIC and may find it difficult to discuss the issue Patients are not satisfied with how their constipation is managed by the healthcare system
Risk factors	There are certain patient characteristics that can help identify groups that are particularly at risk of experiencing greater OIC and potentially interfere with OST

OIC, opioid-induced constipation; OST, opioid substitution treatment.