Technical Assistance

The IHS recognizes the complexity of implementing and sustaining evidence-based strategies to improve substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery outcomes in tribal communities. Developing innovative approaches to the opioid crisis and sharing best and promising practices through enhanced communications is fundamental to the overall IHS opioid strategy. This page lists technical assistance resources to support process improvement and to enhance patient and community outcomes related to the opioid crisis.

Opioid Surveillance Dashboard Guidance

2023 IHS Opioid Prescribing Dashboard Support Office Hours: Every 3rd Friday (1-2pm CT)

The Indian Health Service (IHS) National Committee on Heroin, Opioids, and Pain Efforts (HOPE Committee) is hosting open office hour sessions on the use of the IHS Opioid Dashboard.

Register Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  and join us to:

• Ask questions about the dashboard.
• Understand dashboard capability.
• Address real-world scenarios in dashboard use.
• Teach new techniques.
• Offer dashboard requests, recommendations or enhancements.

Opioid Dashboard Office Hours will be held each month on the third Friday from 1pm-2pm Central Time from January to May (1/20, 2/17, 3/17, 4/21, 5/19), 2023.

Register for 2023 Office Hours Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

Opioid Stewardship is a key part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Strategic Plan Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  to improve data collection, use, and evaluation, to increase evidence-based knowledge that leads to better health outcomes, reduced health disparities, and improved social well-being, equity, and economic resilience. Effective opioid stewardship strategies emphasize safe opioid prescribing, team-based care, leadership support, and use data to inform clinical decisions that will improve health outcomes for patients diagnosed with chronic pain syndrome or opioid use disorder (OUD).

The Opioid Surveillance Dashboard is a tool to be used to support stewardship initiatives at your site and the guidance documents can help streamline utilization of the dashboard.

• Opioid Surveillance Dashboard User Manual [PDF - 2.4 MB]
• IHS Opioid Surveillance Dashboard Measures [PDF - 228 KB]
• BDWH User Manual [PDF - 522 KB]

Opioid Surveillance Dashboard Training Videos

• Opioid Surveillance Dashboard Overview Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  - YouTube
• Getting Access to the Opiod Dashboard Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  - YouTube
• Incorporating data into Opioid Stewardship Plans Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  - YouTube

Resources

The Substance Use Warmline (1-855-300-3595) offers free, on-demand Clinician-To-Clinician support for I/T/U providers managing substance use disorders (opioids, alcohol, stimulants, etc.).

Download a printable Substance Use Warmline bumper sticker [PDF - 444 KB]

Documentation Tip Sheets and How-to Guides

• Chronic opioid therapy (COT) checklist (upon initiating a pain agreement) [PDF - 141 KB]
• Recommended SNOMED/ICD and CPT codes for documenting a chronic pain condition [PDF - 178 KB]
• Local Chapter 30 Policy Audit Tool [PDF - 499 KB]
• Sample Opioid Stewardship Workbook [PDF - 1.1 MB]
• Documenting PDMP in RPMS EHR [PDF - 241 KB]
• Guidance on entering VA# and DEA# in RPMS EHR [PDF - 383 KB]
• Opioid documentation for HIM Best Practices presentation [PDF - 609 KB]
• Documenting 4PS screen [PDF - 130 KB]

EHR Note Template Samples

The following sample templates are available by emailing HOPE Committee’s technical assistance lead or by visiting Max.gov Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov :

• Focused Acupuncture template
• COT Enhanced Template
• Follow up visit COT Template
• 4Ps Screening dialogue template
• Outside RX template: Template for documenting the filling of a prescription received from an outside provider