Dataset Information

Impact of an Advanced Imaging Utilization Review Program on Downstream Health Care Utilization and Costs for Low Back Pain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for acute low back pain (LBP) has been associated with increased costs, greater health care utilization, and longer disability duration in workers' compensation claimants.

Objectives

To assess the impact of a state policy implemented in June 2010 that required prospective utilization review (UR) for early MRI among workers' compensation claimants with LBP.

Research design

Interrupted time series.

Subjects

In total, 76,119 Washington State workers' compensation claimants with LBP between 2006 and 2014.

Measures

Proportion of workers receiving imaging per month (MRI, computed tomography, radiographs) and lumbosacral injections and surgery; mean total health care costs per worker; mean duration of disability per worker. Measures were aggregated monthly and attributed to injury month.

Results

After accounting for secular trends, decreases in early MRI [level change: -5.27 (95% confidence interval, -4.22 to -6.31); trend change: -0.06 (-0.01 to -0.12)], any MRI [-4.34 (-3.01 to -5.67); -0.10 (-0.04 to -0.17)], and injection [trend change: -0.12 (-0.06 to -0.18)] utilization were associated with the policy. Radiograph utilization increased in parallel [level change: 2.46 (1.24-3.67)]. In addition, the policy resulted in significant decreasing changes in mean costs per claim, mean disability duration, and proportion of workers who received disability benefits. The policy had no effect on computed tomography or surgery utilization.

Conclusions

The UR policy had discernable effects on health care utilization, costs, and disability. Integrating evidence-based guidelines with UR can improve quality of care and patient outcomes, while reducing use of low-value health services.

SUBMITTER: Graves JM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9667902 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Impact of an Advanced Imaging Utilization Review Program on Downstream Health Care Utilization and Costs for Low Back Pain.

Graves Janessa M JM Fulton-Kehoe Deborah D Jarvik Jeffrey G JG Franklin Gary M GM

Medical care 20180601 6

<h4>Background</h4>Early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for acute low back pain (LBP) has been associated with increased costs, greater health care utilization, and longer disability duration in workers' compensation claimants.<h4>Objectives</h4>To assess the impact of a state policy implemented in June 2010 that required prospective utilization review (UR) for early MRI among workers' compensation claimants with LBP.<h4>Research design</h4>Interrupted time series.<h4>Subjects</h4>In total, 76 ...[more]

PMID: 29668650

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Project description:ImportanceTreating low back pain (LBP) often involves a combination of pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic, and interventional treatments; one approach is acupuncture therapy, which is safe, effective, and cost-effective. How acupuncture is used within pain care regimens for LBP has not been widely studied.ObjectiveTo document trends in reimbursed acupuncture between 2010 and 2019 among a large sample of patients with LBP, focusing on demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics associated with acupuncture use and the nonpharmacologic, pharmacologic, and interventional treatments used by patients who utilize acupuncture.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study included insurance claims of US adults in a deidentified database. The study sample included patients diagnosed with LBP between 2010 and 2019. Data were analyzed between September 2023 and June 2024.Main outcomes and measuresChanges in rates of reimbursed acupuncture utilization between 2010 and 2019, including electroacupuncture use, which involves the electrical stimulation of acupuncture needles. Covariates included age, sex, race and ethnicity, income, educational attainment, region, and a chronic LBP indicator. Secondary analyses tracked other nonpharmacologic treatments (eg, physical therapy, chiropractic care), pharmacologic treatments (eg, opioids, gabapentinoids), and interventional treatments (eg, epidural steroid injections).ResultsThe total sample included 6 840 497 adults with LBP (mean [SD] age, 54.6 [17.8] years; 3 916 766 female [57.3%]; 802 579 Hispanic [11.7%], 258 087 non-Hispanic Asian [3.8%], 804 975 non-Hispanic Black [11.8%], 4 974 856 non-Hispanic White [72.7%]). Overall, 106 485 (1.6%) had 1 or more acupuncture claim, while 61 503 (0.9%) had 1 or more electroacupuncture claim. The rate of acupuncture utilization increased consistently, from 0.9% in 2010 to 1.6% in 2019; electroacupuncture rates were relatively stable. Patients who were female (male: odds ratio [OR], 0.68; 99% CI, 0.67-0.70), Asian (OR, 3.26; 99% CI, 3.18-3.35), residing in the Pacific region (New England: OR, 0.26; 99% CI, 0.25-0.28), earning incomes of over $100 000 (incomes less than $40 000: OR, 0.59; 99% CI, 0.57-0.61), college educated (high school or less: OR, 0.32; 99% CI, 0.27-0.35), and with chronic LBP (OR, 2.39; 99% CI, 2.35-2.43) were more likely to utilize acupuncture. Acupuncture users were more likely to engage in other nonpharmacologic pain care like physical therapy (39.2%; 99% CI, 38.9%-39.5% vs 29.3%; 99% CI, 29.3%-29.3%) and less likely to utilize prescription drugs, including opioids (41.4%; 99% CI, 41.1%-41.8% vs 52.5%; 99% CI, 52.4%-52.5%), compared with nonusers.Conclusions and relevanceIn this cross-sectional study, we found that acupuncture utilization among patients with LBP was rare but increased over time. Demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics were associated with acupuncture utilization, and acupuncture users were more likely to utilize other nonpharmacologic treatments and less likely to utilize pharmacologic treatments.

Project description:ImportanceLow back pain (LBP) with or without lower extremity pain (LEP) is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical care. Previous studies investigating costs in this population targeted patients receiving surgery. Little is known about health care utilization among patients who do not undergo surgery.ObjectivesTo assess use of health care resources for LBP and LEP management and analyze associated costs.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study used a retrospective analysis of a commercial database containing inpatient and outpatient data for more than 75 million individuals. Participants were US adults who were newly diagnosed with LBP or LEP between 2008 and 2015, did not have a red-flag diagnosis, and were opiate naive prior to diagnosis. Dates of analysis were October 6, 2018, to March 7, 2019.ExposuresNewly diagnosed LBP or LEP.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was total cost of care within the first 6 and 12 months following diagnosis, stratified by whether patients received spinal surgery. An assessment was performed to determine whether patients who did not undergo surgery received care in accordance with proposed guidelines for conservative LBP and LEP management. Costs resulting from use of different health care services were estimated.ResultsA total of 2 498 013 adult patients with a new LBP or LEP diagnosis (median [interquartile range] age, 47 [36-58] years; 1 373 076 [55.0%] female) were identified. More than half (55.7%) received no intervention. Only 1.2% of patients received surgery, but they accounted for 29.3% of total 12-month costs ($784 million). Total costs of care among the 98.8% of patients who did not receive surgery were $1.8 billion. Patients who did not undergo surgery frequently received care that was inconsistent with clinical guidelines for LBP and LEP: 32.3% of these patients received imaging within 30 days of diagnosis and 35.3% received imaging without a trial of physical therapy.Conclusions and relevanceThe findings suggest that surgery is rare among patients with newly diagnosed LBP and LEP but remains a significant driver of spending. Early imaging in patients who do not undergo surgery was also a major driver of increased health care expenditures. Avoidable costs among patients with typically self-limited conditions result in considerable economic burden to the US health care system.

Dataset Information

Impact of an Advanced Imaging Utilization Review Program on Downstream Health Care Utilization and Costs for Low Back Pain.

Background

Objectives

Research design

Subjects

Measures

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Impact of an Advanced Imaging Utilization Review Program on Downstream Health Care Utilization and Costs for Low Back Pain.

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