Using urine drug testing to support healthy boundaries in clinical care.
Risk management is first and foremost about protecting patients. This article will examine risk management in general, and urine drug testing (UDT) in particular, as core constituents in an effective, comprehensive risk management strategy. The article will explore UDT as a tool to help practitioners and patients make better choices in the clinical management of chronic pain. How one makes these difficult clinical decisions based on UDT results as well common barriers encountered in conducting patient-centered UDT will also be examined.
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University, Arlington, Virginia.
Howard A
HA
Heit
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Douglas L
DL
Gourlay
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000652:urine*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000652:urine; D003142:Communication; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D010358:Patient Participation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*; D016482:Urinalysis
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D015415:Biomarkers