title: Further validation of an opioid risk assessment tool: the Brief Risk Interview.
abstract: Opioids remain a common method of treating chronic pain conditions despite some controversy. In an effort to address some of the risks of opioid medications, opioid risk assessment has become a standard of care when opioids are used to treat a chronic pain condition. Research to date has found that clinical interviews may be superior to currently available patient-completed written questionnaires in identifying patients likely to engage in medication aberrant behavior. The Brief Risk Interview (BRI) has been developed as a risk assessment tool that has the sensitivity of a clinical interview while eliminating the need for the lengthy process of an interview. The current study compared the predictive ability of the BRI with two commonly used patient-completed risk assessment tools: the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) and the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised (SOAPP-R). After clinical staff at a pain practice underwent a 1-hour training program, 124 consecutive new patients were evaluated using the BRI, ORT, and SOAPP-R. Follow-up data found that the BRI was a good predictor of medication aberrant behavior and offered better sensitivity and better overall predictive accuracy than the ORT or the SOAPP-R. Overall, it appears that the BRI is a valid risk assessment tool that, after a brief training session, can be used effectively by pain clinicians. Further study is needed in other practice settings and with larger sample sizes.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Medicine Institute, Pain Consultants of East Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Ted
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lookatch
authors.affiliation: ANP-C, South Shore Neurologic Associates, PC, Patchogue, New York.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.affiliation: ANP-C, Peconic Bay Medical Center Palliative Care, Riverhead, New York.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid