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. 2021 Jan-Dec:12:21501327211008055.
doi: 10.1177/21501327211008055.

Diagnosing and Treating Chronic Pain: Are We Doing This Right?

Lisa Carnago  1 , Amy O'Regan  2 , Jaime M Hughes  2   3   4
Affiliations

Diagnosing and Treating Chronic Pain: Are We Doing This Right?

Lisa Carnago et al. J Prim Care Community Health. 2021 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

The diagnosis, treatment, and management of chronic pain is complex, nuanced, and challenging in primary care settings. These challenges often give rise to internal provider conflicts around appropriate management strategies, perhaps avoiding diagnosis all together. Factors that contribute to internal provider conflict include knowledge, responsibility, and uncertainties surrounding chronic pain management. This piece acknowledges the complexity and competing priorities of chronic pain management from a provider perspective. We advocate for coordinated and committed care of patients with chronic pain and a sense of shared responsibility among providers to adequately address patient needs.

Keywords: chronic pain; opioids; patient-centered care; provider decision making.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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