Monitoring of Outcomes Clinicians who prescribe opioid therapy accept the responsibility to provide an appropriate degree of monitoring over time. Monitoring of outcomes provides the information necessary to determine whether the therapy requires adjustment to optimize benefits or minimize the risk of side effects or problematic drug use. There are four broad domains of outcomes that should be monitored over time: pain relief, side effects, function, and drug-related behavior (Table). A useful mnemonic likens these domains to the “Four A’s”: Analgesia, Adverse effects, Activities of daily living, and Aberrant drug-related behavior. Table: Monitoring Four Domains of Outcomes During Opioid Therapy (.pdf)

Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care ©2005 Continuum Health Partners, Inc. www.StopPain.org/pcd