A new study says that respecting a patient’s preference to have their pain treated with opioids in the emergency room (ER) may lower the risk of the patient misusing opioid pills later—especially for Black patients. This information comes from a look at six ERs at four major hospitals and was just printed in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
About the Study
Researchers followed 735 adults who came to the ER with painful problems. The day after the visit they asked each person two things:
- “Were you happy with how we treated your pain? Rate us from 0 to 10.”
- “Did you want an opioid painkiller, like oxycodone, and did you get it?”
Three months later the same people filled out the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM), a 17-question survey that spots warning signs of unsafe pill use. Higher scores mean more risk.
What They Found
- Satisfaction matters. Patients who felt satisfied had lower COMM scores, even when doctors did not give them the opioid they preferred.
- Unmet preferences hit Black patients harder. About 22 % of Black patients said their wish for an opioid was ignored, compared with 15 % of White patients. When satisfaction was rock-bottom (0/10), Black patients with unmet wishes scored almost twice as high on the COMM as similar White patients. When satisfaction was perfect (10/10), the racial gap disappeared.
- Black-White Differences.
In a control group, differences between Black and white people in risk of misuse stayed small regardless of how satisfied patients felt.
Why It Matters
There is a long history of medical professionals under-treating our pain believing that we are not as sensitive to pain, or that we are more likely to abuse pain medicines. At the same time, for years, experts have urged doctors to write fewer opioid prescriptions to prevent addiction. This study flips that idea on its head, showing that simply cutting back on prescribing opioids—without listening to what patients want—can leave pain untreated. Experiencing untreated pain can push some people, especially Black patients, toward unsafe ways to cope.
More Study Needed
The study’s lead author Dr. Max Jordan Nguemeni says the team will dig deeper to learn why some patients feel unheard. They will look at shared decision-making, trust, and other factors that shape good pain care. The goal will be to find ER practices that lower both pain and future opioid misuse, and close the overdose gap harming Black communities.
What Can You Do?
Unrelieved pain can lead to chronic conditions like mental stress. If you experiencing pain make sure to let your doctor know and ask about your options. Insist that the doctor work with you until you find relief.
Sources for this article can be found here.