Understanding the impact of recurring health issues on opioid use after injury
By Tasmiah Sad Sutopa, AusHSI PhD Scholar
Opioids are widely prescribed for pain management, especially after injury or surgery. While studies have aimed to examine how people use prescribed medication over time, they rarely consider the impact of subsequent health issues on these patterns. For instance, injured patients can often undergo further surgeries or be admitted to hospital multiple times, increasing the likelihood of being prescribed more opioids. My PhD aims to explore and develop statistical methods to identify key predictors, understand the impact of timings of repeated health events, and examine patterns of community opioid use among adults after the primary injury.
When I began my PhD, I had little awareness of this complex issue. However, since the very beginning of my career, I have always loved how statistical methods can be used to uncover hidden stories behind numbers. My academic journey started at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, where I completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and a Master of Science in Statistics. I later joined the same department as a faculty member. After five years of teaching and research, I felt the need to deepen my expertise and broaden my skills. This led me to pursue my PhD and, through this first year, I have realised not only the complexity of the issue, but also the exciting opportunities my research holds.
My study analyses data from the Community Opioid Dispensing after Injury (CODI) study- a cohort study of people aged 18+ years who were hospitalised after sustaining an injury in Queensland, Australia. CODI is a linked dataset of state-wide inpatient hospitalisation, community opioid dispensing and mortality data. I will explore community opioid dispensing pathways by patient characteristics such as age, type or cause of injury, or prior opioid dependence. I will then explore the impact of rehospitalisation or subsequent surgeries on opioid prescription journeys. Finally, I will develop or apply an appropriate statistical method that can be used as a tool to examine how the timing of recurrent health events impacts opioid prescribing patterns.
This study goes beyond merely describing prescribing patterns. It investigates whether the timing and recurrence of health events are key drivers of long-term opioid use. My scoping review found that no-one has yet thoroughly analysed how opioid dose and duration are impacted by when recurring health issues occur. My PhD will improve understanding of opioid use and provide methods that can be adapted to other medications to help reduce the use and harm of opioids.
I am fortunate to be guided by a wonderful supervisory team: A/Prof. Susanna Cramb as my principal supervisor, and Prof. Cate Cameron and A/Prof. Darren Wraith as my associate supervisors. When I first arrived at AusHSI, I felt lost in an unfamiliar world. However, the welcoming environment quickly made me feel at home. AusHSI provides PhD students with a supportive space where they can focus entirely on their research. Everyone here is so helpful that no one ever feels alone, even international students far from home. The institute also celebrates the achievements of its PhD students, encouraging them to share and promote their research within their fields. I am truly grateful to be part of such an institution that nurtures both personal growth and academic excellence.
