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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)
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