Opportunities - Foundational Research Toward Machine Learning-Based Decision Support for Safer Opioid Prescribing in Emergency Department Patients with Acute Fractures (Opportunity to Join Grant Funding Application)

Foundational Research Toward Machine Learning-Based Decision Support for Safer Opioid Prescribing in Emergency Department Patients with Acute Fractures
University of Alberta, Department of Emergency Medicine


Background
Emergency departments (EDs) face a critical dilemma: how to adequately treat acute fracture pain while minimizing the risk of opioid-related harms. When someone breaks a bone and comes to the ED, effective pain control is essential for healing and getting back to normal activities. However, prescribing opioids carries risks, including the possibility of long-term dependence. Currently, doctors lack tools to personalize prescribing decisions—they must rely on generic guidelines that don’t account for individual patient circumstances, values, or risk factors.

We are conducting foundational research toward a machine learning-based clinical decision support tool that will eventually help emergency physicians and patients make informed, shared decisions about pain management. This research will develop and validate a predictive model that analyzes a patient’s unique characteristics to estimate which opioid prescription (if any) would be safest, presenting options ranked by individualized risk-benefit profiles. Our study includes patients aged 12 years and older, recognizing that adolescents also experience fracture pain and deserve evidence-based, personalized care.

Critically, we believe that risk is not just a number—it’s personal. What constitutes “acceptable risk” varies from person to person based on pain severity, functional goals, prior experiences, and individual values. Our research recognizes that patient voices must be centered in every stage of this work—from defining what outcomes matter most, to designing how risk information should be presented to ensuring the tool doesn’t perpetuate biases against marginalized communities.

This work will help patients experiencing fractures by:
-Ensuring pain is adequately managed to support healing and return to function
-Personalizing opioid prescribing to individual risk profiles rather than one-size-fits-all approaches
-Empowering patients to make informed decisions aligned with their own values and priorities
-Reducing disparities in pain management for marginalized populations

We are currently preparing a CIHR Catalyst Grant application and seeking Patient Partners to co-design this research from the very beginning. If our application is successful, Patient Partners will continue as essential collaborators throughout the funded research.

We are seeking Patient Partners with:
- Lived experience of acute pain management in the ED (e.g., fracture or other injury requiring pain medication)
- AND/OR personal or family experience with opioid-related harms (e.g., prolonged use, difficulty tapering, opioid use disorder, overdose)
 
IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY
Grant Application Phase – February through March 2026
We are looking for a Patient Partners to serve as a co-applicant on the CIHR Catalyst Grant application, contributing to:
- Refining research questions to ensure alignment with patient priorities
- Reviewing and providing feedback on proposed research methods
- Co-developing the patient engagement plan
- Providing input on outcome definitions (e.g., “What does ‘opioid use disorder’ mean from a lived experience perspective?”)
-Identifying potential sources of bias in our proposed approach
-Ensuring the application reflects authentic patient voice and prioritiies 

Time commitment during grant preparation
Approximately 4-6 hours total (distributed over 6-8 weeks), including
- 1-2 virtual meetings (1-1.5 hours each)
- Email correspondence and document review (2-3 hours total)
- Flexibility to accommodate your schedule

IF GRANT IS FUNDED
Research Phase - April 2026 - March 2027
The Patient Partner co-applicant and additional Patient Partners (2–3 individuals) will support specific research activities, particularly in qualitative research and knowledge translation, with appropriate training and mentorship. Activities will include:
- Research Design and Planning
- Model Development (Machine Learning)
- Equity Testing
- Qualitative Study
- Knowledge Translation

Training & Support Provided:
- Workshops on qualitative research methods
- One-on-one mentorship from research team
- Access to online learning modules (e.g., CIHR Patient Engagement in Research training; TCPS2)
- All materials provided in plain language and shared in advance of meetings

Compensation
This project is currently not funded so we are unable to offer compensation for the patient partner co-applicant role in supporting the grant funding application. However, should the project become funded the patient partner co-applicant and the patient partners will be offered compensation at a rate of $35/hour as per AbSPORU guidelines for all project related activities.

This is anticipated to be an online project but any direct expenses related to in-person activities or meetings (i.e. travel, parking, etc) will be reimbursed.

For more information or to apply please connect with
Dr. Jake Hayward
Emergency Physician & Epidemiologist University of Alberta, Department of Emergency Medicine
Email: jhayward@ualberta.ca