Case and commentary: Do physicians have collective, not just individual, obligations to respond to the opioid crisis?

Abstract

Evidence-based clinical guidelines could mitigate variations in care for some patients. However, patient and clinician distress can arise when guidelines are misapplied or mandated by processes that are not evidence based, fail to integrate physician expertise and patient preference, or fail to motivate informed, shared decision making. Physicians can choose to collectively advocate at national, state, and local levels for policy changes.