Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2025
Patients' Experiences With Opioid Tapering in Noncancer Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-synthesis.
Tapering opioids is an effective strategy to reduce the risks associated with long-term opioid therapy. However, patients' experience with tapering can influence the success of this treatment. Understanding patients' experiences with opioid tapering will allow for patient-centered approaches to be adopted to tailor interventions to achieve safe and successful taper outcomes. ⋯ Three key themes guiding the new meta-synthesis were identified: (1) patient-provider interactions, (2) individualized care, and (3) tactics to manage the opioid tapering process. This review demonstrated the role that patient-provider interactions, tailored care, and effective tapering strategies play in facilitating a favorable patient experience during the opioid tapering process. Future research should incorporate the themes identified in this review to optimize the patient's taper experience.