Overview
Altarum has designed a 10-credit hour, four-month continuing education and quality improvement program for dental practices on responsible opioid prescribing. We are currently piloting the training with providers through funding from the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, a collaboration of the state of Michigan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and the University of Michigan.
Our Approach
During the program, dentists and dental clinicians learn about dentistry’s role in the opioid crisis, how to apply opioid prescribing recommendations (such as American Dental Association guidelines), how to use the Michigan Automated Prescription System to identify individuals with potential risk for misuse, and how to educate patients on the safe use of opioids.
Results
One goal of the program is to ensure that 75 percent of all patients prescribed opioids will receive pain management counseling and a follow-up phone call from their provider to identify the number of opioid pills the patient has used, and their level of pain. Based on our initial training, we have found that only a small percentage of dentists are providing pain management counseling, performing follow-up counseling, or accessing the prescription drug monitoring system when they prescribe opioids. All of this underscores the important role of responsible opioid prescribing training in ending the opioid crisis.
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Chantell Frazier - MA, PhD
Deputy Director, Behavioral Health
Areas of Expertise- Quantitative & Qualitative Research
- Survey Design
- Mental Health and Vulnerable Populations
Chantell Frazier is a medical sociologist and expert on women’s health; veteran and military health; patient experience; and health equity, particularly access and quality of care for women of color. In her evaluation work with the Veterans Health Administration, she developed metrics and criteria for measuring the effectiveness of suicide prevention and mental health services, including physician opioid prescribing practices. Her work has been published in Health Affairs, the Journal of Patient Experience, AIDS and Behavior, and numerous government reports. Chantell earned a doctorate degree in sociology from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University.