Changes in opioid prescribing and prescription drug monitoring program utilization following electronic health record integration-Massachusetts, 2018.

OBJECTIVE: In this study we explored key prescription drug monitoring program-related outcomes among clinicians from a broad cohort of Massachusetts healthcare facilities following prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) and electronic health record (EHR) data integration.

METHODS: Outcomes included 7-day rolling averages of opioids prescribed, morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) prescribed, and PDMP queries. We employed a longitudinal study design to analyze PDMP data over a 15-month study period which allowed for six and a half months of pre- and post-integration observations surrounding a two-month integration period. We used longitudinal mixed effects models to examine the effect of EHR integration on each of the key outcomes.

RESULTS: Following EHR integration, PDMP queries increased both through the web-based portal and in total (0.037, [95% CI = 0.017, 0.057] and 0.056, [95% CI = 0.035, 0.077]). Both measures of clinician opioid prescribing declined throughout the study period; however no significant effect following EHR integration was observed. These results were consistent when our analysis was applied to a subset consisting only of continuous PDMP users.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results support EHR integration contributing to PDMP utilization by clinicians but do not support changes in opioid prescribing behavior.