Opioid Counseling Following Orthopaedic Surgery

preoperative counseling consists of education with a brief multi-media presentation in the preoperative area on the day of surgery using a handheld tablet. The message of the preoperative counseling consisted of: 1) Background on the opioid epidemic including basic facts and consequences, 2) Description of risk factors for opioid abuse and how to consume opioids safely, 3) Information on the specific opioid the patient was prescribed and the anticipated amount and duration of use postoperatively, 4) Encouraging the use of non-opioid therapy prior to taking the prescribed opioids or quickly transitioning to non-opioid medications postoperatively, and 5) Contact information and instructions to call if the patient experienced any adverse events and/or if additional pain medication is needed.