A text message system can monitor postoperative opioid use and shows that many prescribed opioid tablets are unused, according to a case study published in NEJM Catalyst. Researchers built, deployed, and tested an automated text messaging program for postoperative patient engagement. They sent an initial text message after surgery, and patients provided e-consent. A series of questions was sent on postoperative days 4, 7, 14, and 21. Questions were completed on self-reported pain intensity, the ability to manage pain, and use of prescription opioids; in addition, locations for safe disposal of opioids were provided. Text messages were sent to 2,444 adult patients during a 16-month period, of whom 47.2% provided e-consent. The proportion of patients responding to questions varied from a low of 69% on day 7 to a high of 95% on day 21. Among the respondents, 10,305 (61%) opioid tablets remained unused. For all procedure types, there was a decrease in the mean self-reported pain score within 21 days after surgery.
