Mobile Application Reduces Opioid Misuse After Cesarean Section

Background: The United States is facing an epidemic of opioid misuse and addiction, with postoperative opioid prescriptions often being inconsistent and excessive, especially for cesarean section patients. To address this, technology like mobile applications and clinical decision support tools are being utilized to decrease opioid use and misuse, aiming for more appropriate prescribing practices.

Methods: This study focused on the impact of the Continuing Precision Medicine (CPM) mobile application on reducing opioid pain medication use among women who underwent cesarean section. Participants were randomized into a control group or an experimental group using the CPMRx mobile app for postoperative pain management. The study measured morphine milligram equivalents (MME) as the primary outcome, with secondary outcomes including delay to dosages, decrease of usage, and pain scores.

Results: The study found a significant difference in opioid misuse between the groups, with the CPMRx group experiencing a 92% reduction in odds of opioid misuse compared to the control group. The control group was found to be at a 7 times higher risk of opioid misuse. Among participants who did not misuse their prescription opioids, the average number of pills used was 2.7, with most patients using 8 or fewer pills.

Conclusions: The use of the CPMRx mobile application significantly reduces the likelihood of opioid misuse among women post-cesarean section. The study suggests that a prescription of 7 tablets of 5 mg oxycodone may be more appropriate for this group, indicating that systematically right-sizing prescriptions could decrease the risk of opioid misuse at both patient and community levels, thereby reducing the public health burden.