CORE Project Update – 2018 Year in Review

January 2nd, 2019

Earlier in 2018, OrthoCarolina
Research Institute (OCRI) launched the Carolinas Opioid Reduction Effort (CORE) Project. The CORE Project is the first OCRI research study spanning numerous surgical procedures across multiple sub-specialties within OrthoCarolina. As we begin 2019, we would like to highlight the incredible progress we have made with the CORE project in 2018. You can read more about the CORE Project here.

Notable Events in 2018

• March 14th – OrthoCarolina launches first CORE press pelease
• March 16th – Dr. Nady Hamid hosts a Media Day announcing the CORE project to news outlets
• March 26th – CORE study is officially open-to-enrollment
• March 26th – First patient is enrolled (Foot & Ankle) on the same day the study is opened!
• April 19th – First CORE surgery is performed (Control Group Shoulder Arthroplasty)
• May 10th – First Opioid-Free CORE surgery is performed (Shoulder Arthroplasty)

Did You Know?

• The CORE Project has been featured by at least 11 media outlets since the original press release.
• The pilot study that preceded the CORE project has already lead to some clinics across the country changing their approach to opioid use in Total Shoulder Arthroplasty surgeries.

What an Amazing Team Effort!

During 2018, we opened the CORE study at 4 surgical locations and have started working on the addition of two other surgical locations. This is a huge undertaking! For each new location, a large number of tasks need to take place behind the scenes: presenting the study idea, getting the location leadership on board, working with various anesthesia members at each location to build the protocol and ensure proper patient care/safety, submitting/presenting to IRB (ethics board) for approval, and training a large variety of nursing and other site staff to ensure study cooperation.

Patients involved in the study have had favorable results. One patient in the opioid-free group sent this message to study staff: “I am in far less pain than I anticipated. I have not been nauseous. Waking up after the surgery feeling clear and coherent without any queasiness was much improved over my last experience, which is ironic because that was the experience I was dreading the most. I would actually request being opiate free based on my experience of waking up after surgery again. I really love the clarity of mind right after surgery.”

We’re very proud of the work being done and thank all our physicians, surgery site partners, and research staff for contributing in 2018 to such an important project. We look forward to being able to share more updates as we move forward in 2019!