Did the authors slip on SOAPP?

I found “Chronic non-cancer pain and substance use disorders: Challenges and strategies.” (Current Psychiatry, July 2013, p. 35-41; http://bit.ly/162NTCO) interesting. However, as an author of one of the references cited, I feel I should speak up when there is a factual error. The authors cite our Moore et al 2009¹ study as finding that “the SOAPP-R is 90% sensitive in detecting CNCP/SUD.”

First, what was identified was those patients misusing opioid medications in some way that might or might not represent a substance use disorder. Second, the sensitivity was 73%, not 90%. Most important, the instrument to which the authors are referring is the SOAPP, not the SOAPP-R. Our later studies have shown that the SOAPP-R has much less sensitivity than the SOAPP and, therefore, the two tools are not comparable.

Ted W. Jones, PhD

Psychologist

Behavioral Medicine Institute, P.C.

Pain Consultants of East Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Reference

1. Moore TM, Jones T, Browder JH, et al. A comparison of common screening methods for predicting aberrant drug-related behavior among patients receiving opioids for chronic pain management. Pain Med. 2009;10(8):1426-1433.

I found “Chronic non-cancer pain and substance use disorders: Challenges and strategies.” (Current Psychiatry, July 2013, p. 35-41; http://bit.ly/162NTCO) interesting. However, as an author of one of the references cited, I feel I should speak up when there is a factual error. The authors cite our Moore et al 2009¹ study as finding that “the SOAPP-R is 90% sensitive in detecting CNCP/SUD.”

First, what was identified was those patients misusing opioid medications in some way that might or might not represent a substance use disorder. Second, the sensitivity was 73%, not 90%. Most important, the instrument to which the authors are referring is the SOAPP, not the SOAPP-R. Our later studies have shown that the SOAPP-R has much less sensitivity than the SOAPP and, therefore, the two tools are not comparable.

Ted W. Jones, PhD

Psychologist

Behavioral Medicine Institute, P.C.

Pain Consultants of East Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Reference

1. Moore TM, Jones T, Browder JH, et al. A comparison of common screening methods for predicting aberrant drug-related behavior among patients receiving opioids for chronic pain management. Pain Med. 2009;10(8):1426-1433.

I found “Chronic non-cancer pain and substance use disorders: Challenges and strategies.” (Current Psychiatry, July 2013, p. 35-41; http://bit.ly/162NTCO) interesting. However, as an author of one of the references cited, I feel I should speak up when there is a factual error. The authors cite our Moore et al 2009¹ study as finding that “the SOAPP-R is 90% sensitive in detecting CNCP/SUD.”

First, what was identified was those patients misusing opioid medications in some way that might or might not represent a substance use disorder. Second, the sensitivity was 73%, not 90%. Most important, the instrument to which the authors are referring is the SOAPP, not the SOAPP-R. Our later studies have shown that the SOAPP-R has much less sensitivity than the SOAPP and, therefore, the two tools are not comparable.

Ted W. Jones, PhD

Psychologist

Behavioral Medicine Institute, P.C.

Pain Consultants of East Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Reference

1. Moore TM, Jones T, Browder JH, et al. A comparison of common screening methods for predicting aberrant drug-related behavior among patients receiving opioids for chronic pain management. Pain Med. 2009;10(8):1426-1433.