Tele-HOPE: A Telehealth Pharmacist Opioid Patient Education Pilot Study

This clinical trial will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of a palliative care pharmacist-led group telehealth opioid education session for palliative care patients prescribed opioids for cancer-related pain. While opioids are commonly used in palliative care settings to manage cancer-related pain, their significant side effects, complicated administration requirements, and concerns about addiction can make it challenging for patients to use opioids safely and effectively. Some patients may even avoid opioids altogether because of these concerns, even when opioids are clinically indicated, leading to poor symptom control. To address these challenges, a telehealth education session was developed as a clinical initiative by a palliative care pharmacist, addressing safe and effective opioid management. Educational priorities and session content were informed by a survey of interdisciplinary palliative care clinicians that identified barriers and facilitators to opioid education and key patient educational needs. Patients scheduled to attend a pharmacist-led group telehealth opioid education session who enroll in the study will complete a survey before the session and another survey afterward. This study will assess the feasibility and acceptability of delivering the intervention, as well as its preliminary effects on opioid knowledge and self-efficacy. If feasible and acceptable, this pharmacist-led telehealth education model could represent a scalable strategy to improve opioid management for patients with cancer-related pain.