The Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) is a brief, self-report screening tool designed for use with adult patients in primary care settings to assess risk for opioid abuse among individuals prescribed opioids for treatment of chronic pain.
The ORT measures the following risk factors associated with substance abuse:
• personal and family history of substance abuse,
• age,
• history of preadolescent sexual abuse, and
• certain psychological diseases.
The ORT is administered by the provider upon an initial visit prior to or during opioid therapy for pain management, and can be administered via paper or electronic survey. It can be administered and scored in less than 1 minute, and has been validated in both male and female patients but not in non-pain populations.
The ORT generates a score from 0 to 26, with scores of 0-3, 4-7, and 8 or higher representing low, moderate, and high risk of opioid use disorder, respectively. Patients categorized as high risk are at increased likelihood of future abusive drug-related behavior.
The risk of accidental opioid overdose was determined by positive response to one or more of the following indicators:
• age;
• use of benzodiazepines, muscle relaxants, over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids, cough or cold medications;
alcohol use;
• concomitant opioid use; and
• co-morbidities, including asthma, depression, anxiety, COPD or emphysema, sleep apnea, liver disease, or kidney disease.
Opioid risk tool
See reference for more information.
Adapted from: Webster LR Webster MR. Predicting Aberrant Behaviors in Opioid-Treated Patients: Preliminary validation of the Opioid Risk Tool. Pain Medicine 2005; 6(6): 432-442.