CO*RE partners have curated these trusted, evidence-based resources to support clinicians in pain management, opioid prescribing, and safer patient care.

Opioid Specific Tools

Item Description
DIRE Diagnosis, Intractability, Risk, Efficacy score
Equianalgesic Dose Calculator Equianalgesic dosage conversion calculator
OUD Point of Care Tool Online version of the print reference guide published by the AANP (2022)
SOAPP An assessment tool to help determine how much monitoring a patient on long-term opioid therapy might require There are four versions of SOAPP (with 5, 14, or 24 questions). If you suspect an issue, consider using the extended version. To achieve a shorter form, the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value are lower than the full versions. Document which version of the tool selected.
5-question version: takes less than 5 minutes to complete

14-question version: takes about 8 minutes to complete

24-question version: the original, takes about 10 minutes to complete

STORM Stratification Tool for Opioid Risk Mitigation. A suicide risk screening tool and safety initiative developed by the VA (more information)
Tapering & Discontinuation Guide Published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in October 2019

Pain Tools

Item Description
BPI The Brief Pain Inventory
CDC Guideline The CDC publication to provide recommendations for the prescribing of opioid pain medication for patients 18 and older in primary care settings
MPI 52 questions assessing effect of pain on personal life, relationships, and daily activities
PACSLAC Pain Assessment Checklist for Seniors with Limited Ability to Communicate
PAINAD Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale
PCS Pain Catastrophizing Scale
PEG Pain intensity, Enjoyment of life, General Activity assessment. Derived from the Brief Pain Inventory

Practicing Cultural Humility

Item Description
Culturally Competent Care A Clinician’s Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care

Practicing in Innovative Ways

Item Description
Quality Improvement Enhance your approach to pain management and strengthen teamwork by participating in this QI project
Telehealth Increase the effectiveness of your pain management telehealth visits and keep your patients engaged

Practicing in Specific Settings

Item Description
Surgical Team: Navigating the Opioid Crisis: Insights into Prescription-Related Challenges & Solutions Designed for the surgical healthcare team, we focus on optimizing opioid prescribing practices and enhancing pain management strategies within the surgical setting
NIDA Resource Real-world examples from a variety of practice settings and clinician types—operationalizing research to improve patient care

Research on Specific Substances

Item Description
Research Topics Information on drug use, health, and NIDA’s research efforts

Risk and Protective Factors for Addiction

Item Description
ACEs Adverse Childhood Experiences
ASQ – Ask Suicide-Screening Questions National Institute of Mental Health tool to help clinicians identify individuals at risk for suicide
CTQ Childhood Trauma Questionnaire
DERS Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale
GAD-7 Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item
PHQ-9 The Patient Health Questionnaire is a multipurpose instrument for screening, diagnosing, monitoring and measuring the severity of depression
Risk & Protection Factors SAMSHA risk and protection factors
SF-36 Functional Assessment

Screening Tools

Item Description
TAPS Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use Tool
Screening for Substance Use Latest science on screening for substance use and tips from how clinicians from various disciplines have integrated screening into their different practice settings
COMM The Current Opioid Misuse Measure
CRAFFT Adolescent substance use screener (validated in pediatric/adolescent populations)
CUDIT-R The Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test
DAST Drug Abuse Screening Test

Treatment Resources

Item Description
NIDA Resource Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
SAMHSA Resource Clinician information on medications, counseling, and related conditions

Use of First-Person Language

Item Description
NIDA Stigma CME Words Matter – Terms to Use and Avoid When Talking About Addiction