Linking hospital surgery records to lower opioid use after inpatient surgery

The Use of Novel Linked Databasesto Reduce Postoperative Opioid Use Among Patients Undergoing Inpatient Surgery

NIH-funded research Stanford University · NIH-11363268

Using linked surgical and medical records, researchers aim to find ways to reduce long-term opioid use after inpatient surgery, especially in older adults.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionStanford University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Stanford, United States)
Project IDNIH-11363268 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This project connects detailed operating-room data with long-term prescription and claims records to see which perioperative practices lead to less ongoing opioid use. The team will combine a large multicenter perioperative registry (MPOG) with downstream prescription/outcome data to track opioid exposure during hospitalization and months after discharge. By focusing on older adults and measuring intraoperative opioid dosing and other perioperative care elements, researchers will look for patterns tied to persistent postoperative opioid use. Results will be used to suggest perioperative pain-management approaches that could lower the chance of opioid dependence and related harms.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults undergoing inpatient surgical procedures at hospitals that contribute to the linked datasets and who may be at risk for ongoing opioid use after discharge.

Not a fit: Patients having minor outpatient procedures or those not exposed to prescription opioids after surgery are less likely to benefit directly from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians choose safer pain-control approaches that lower the risk of long-term opioid use and related harms after surgery.

How similar studies have performed: Prior observational and quality-improvement efforts suggest opioid-sparing perioperative approaches can reduce short-term opioid exposure, but using large linked intraoperative-to-outcome datasets to predict long-term opioid use is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Stanford, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.