Guidance and Position Statements

Guidelines

Summaries of select ACOEM Practice Guidelines are below. These documents adhere to the College's strict methodology for evidence-based guidelines. For access to the full version of the Guidelines, subscribe to MDGuidelines®.
Methodology for ACOEM’s Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines—2022 Revision

The updated ACOEM methodology is summarized highligting some of the advances in systematic review methods and guideline development.

Invasive Treatments for Low Back Disorders

This is the third article summarizing the recommendations for low back disorders from the ACOEM’s Low Back Disorders Guideline. This article focuses on the invasive treatment section.

Non-Invasive and Minimally Invasive Management of Low Back Disorders

This is the second of three articles that summarize recommendations for low back disorders from the ACOEM’s Low Back Disorders Guideline. This article focuses on the non-invasive treatment section.

 

Diagnostic Tests for Low Back Disorders

This article summarizes ACOEM's evidence-based diagnostic guidelines for low back disorders. 

Work-Relatedness

This article reviews the distinction between establishing medical causation (determined by scientific criteria establishing a causal association between an injury, illness, disease, or disorder and known risk factors), and legal causation (determined by criteria established by legal authority).

Opioid Treatment Contract

The use of an opioid treatment agreement (opioid contract, doctor/patient agreement, or informed consent) is recommended to document patient education, understanding, acknowledgement of potential benefits, adverse effects, and agreement with the expectations of opioid use.

Occupational Interstitial Lung Diseases

Evidence-based diagnostic and treatment guidelines for occupationally related interstitial lung diseases (ILDs).

Work-Related Asthma

Evidence-based diagnostic and treatment guidelines for work-related asthma.

Opioids for Treatment of Acute, Subacute, Chronic, and Postoperative Pain

In response to the rise in opioids use, ACOEM developed recommendations for treatment of acute, subacute, chronic, and post-operative pain with opioids.