SynthesisBMJ open2022
General practitioners' attitudes towards opioids for non-cancer pain: a qualitative systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Patient- and Clinician-Related Factors Associated With the Reduction in Opioid Use Among Adults With Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review.Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · 2026Pooled it
- The constant conflicts of opioid prescribing - GPs' views on treating chronic pain with opioids in primary care: a reflexive qualitative analysis.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2026Article
- Expectations and communication in opioid pain management: a qualitative study of patients' experience.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2026Article
- Evaluation of Loma Linda University Health clinicians' beliefs, knowledge and experiences regarding pain management.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Patients With Chronic Pain and Their Perspectives on Barriers and Opportunities for Earlier Opioid Tapering-A Qualitative Study Using Patient Journey Mapping.Musculoskeletal care · 2026Article
- A qualitative interview study exploring the experiences of pain specialists on prescribing opioids for chronic non-cancer pain.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Exploring opioid management challenges in chronic non-cancer pain: findings from a mixed-methods study among general practitioners in Germany.Family practice · 2025Article
- Outcomes of Discontinuing Long-Term Opioid Therapy among Older Cancer Survivors in Long-Term Care Settings.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2025Article
- Co-Designing a Digital Brief Intervention to Reduce the Risk of Prescription Opioid-Related Harm Among People With Chronic Noncancer Pain: Qualitative Analysis of Patient Lived Experiences.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Patients' perspectives about the role of primary healthcare providers in long-term opioid therapy: a qualitative study in Dutch primary care.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024Article
- Data-Driven Identification of Potentially Successful Intervention Implementations Using 5 Years of Opioid Prescribing Data: Retrospective Database Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2024Article
- Short- and long-term safety of discontinuing chronic opioid therapy among older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia.Age and ageing · 2024Article
- Understanding general practitioners' prescribing choices to patients with chronic low back pain: a discrete choice experiment.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2024Article
- Opioid Treatment in Primary Care: Knowledge and Practical Use of Opioid Therapy.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Pragmatic Delphi study aimed at determining practical components for a tool designed to assist Dutch primary care-givers in opioid deprescribing for non-cancer pain.Family practice · 2023Article
- Prioritizing patient values for chronic pain care: a path out of the pain reduction regime?Family practice · 2023Article
- Healthcare provider knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes regarding opioids for chronic non-cancer pain in North America prior to the emergence of COVID-19: A systematic review of qualitative research.Canadian journal of pain = Revue canadienne de la douleur · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesWorldwide the use of opioids, both doctor-prescribed and illicit, has increased. In most countries, opioids are first prescribed by general practitioners (GPs). Identifying factors that influence GPs' opioid prescription decision-making may help reduce opioid misuse and overuse. We performed a systematic review to gain insight into GP attitudes towards opioid prescription and to identify possible solutions to promote changes in the field of primary care. DESIGN AND
settingSystematic review of qualitative studies reporting GPs' attitudes towards opioid use in non-cancer pain management.
methodsWe searched Embase, Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane, PsychInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Google Scholar. Two independent reviewers selected studies based on prespecified eligibility criteria. Study quality was evaluated with the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist, and their results were analysed using thematic analysis. Quality of evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation-Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research approach.
resultsWe included 14 studies. Four themes were established using thematic analyses: (1) GPs caught in the middle of 'the opioid crisis'; (2) Are opioids always bad? (3) GPs' weighing scale, taking patient-related and therapeutic relationship-related factors into account; and (4) GPs' sense of powerlessness-lack of alternatives, support by specialists and lack of time in justifying non-prescriptions.
conclusionGP attitudes towards opioid prescribing for non-cancer pain are subject to several GP-related, patient-related and therapeutic relationship-related factors. Raising GP and patient awareness on the inefficacy of opioids in chronic non-cancer pain management and providing non-opioid alternatives to treat chronic pain might help to promote opioid reduction in primary care. More research is needed to develop practical guidelines on appropriate opioid prescribing, tapering off opioid use and adopting effective communication strategies. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020194561.Cite Now.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.