Initial Provider

Cost of Chiropractic Versus Medical Management of Adults with Spine-related Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review

By Frank M. Painter|May 8, 2024|Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic, Initial Provider, Spinal Pain|

Cost of Chiropractic Versus Medical Management of Adults with Spine-related Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review

SOURCE: Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2024 (Mar 6); 32: 8

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Ronald Farabaugh • Cheryl Hawk • Dave Taylor • Clinton Daniels • Claire Noll • Mike Schneider • John McGowan • Wayne Whalen • Ron Wilcox • Richard Sarnat • Leonard Suiter • James Whedon

American Chiropractic Association,
2008 St. Johns Avenue,
Highland Park, Illiois. 60035
Arlington, VA, USA.

FROM: Houweling, JMPT 2015

Background: The cost of spine-related pain in the United States is estimated at $134.5 billion. Spinal pain patients have multiple options when choosing healthcare providers, resulting in variable costs. Escalation of costs occurs when downstream costs are added to episode costs of care. The purpose of this review was to compare costs of chiropractic and medical management of patients with spine-related pain.

Methods: A Medline search was conducted from inception through October 31, 2022, for cost data on U.S. adults treated for spine-related pain. The search included economic studies, randomized controlled trials and observational studies. All studies were independently evaluated for quality and risk of bias by 3 investigators and data extraction was performed by 3 investigators.

Results: The literature search found 2256 citations, of which 93 full-text articles were screened for eligibility. Forty-four studies were included in the review, including 26 cohort studies, 17 cost studies and 1 randomized controlled trial. All included studies were rated as high or acceptable quality. Spinal pain patients who consulted chiropractors as first providers needed fewer opioid prescriptions, surgeries, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, specialist referrals and injection procedures.

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Three Patterns of Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Back Pain and Their Association With Imaging Studies, Injection Procedures, and Surgery: A Cohort Study of Insurance Claims

By Frank M. Painter|April 29, 2023|Chiropractic Management, Initial Provider, Low Back Pain|

Three Patterns of Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Back Pain and Their Association With Imaging Studies, Injection Procedures, and Surgery: A Cohort Study of Insurance Claims

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SOURCE: J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2021 (Nov); 44 (9): 683–689
Brian R. Anderson, DC, MPH, MS, PhD, Steve W. McClellan, MS

Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research,
Palmer College of Chiropractic,
Davenport, IA.

FROM:
Houweling, JMPT 2015 Liliedahl, JMPT 2010

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between procedures and care patterns in back pain episodes by analyzing health insurance claims.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of insurance claims data from a single Fortune 500 company. The 3 care patterns we analyzed were initial spinal manipulative therapy, delayed spinal manipulative therapy, and no spinal manipulative therapy. The 3 procedures analyzed were imaging studies, injection procedures, and back surgery. We considered “escalated care” to be any claims with diagnostic imaging, injection procedures, or back surgery. Modified-Poisson regression modeling was used to determine relative risk of escalated care.

Results: There were 83,025 claims that were categorized into 10 372 unique patient first episodes. Spinal manipulative therapy was present in 2,943 episodes (28%). Initial spinal manipulation was present in 2,519 episodes (24%), delayed spinal manipulation was present in 424 episodes (4%), and 7,429 (72%) had no evidence of spinal manipulative therapy. The estimated relative risk, adjusted for age, sex, and risk score, for care escalation (eg, imaging, injections, or surgery) was 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.65–0.75, P < .001) for initial spinal manipulation and 1.22 (95% confidence interval 1.10–1.35, P < .001) for delayed spinal manipulation with no spinal manipulation used as the reference group.

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Treatment of Lower Back Pain-The Gap between Guideline-Based Treatment and Medical Care Reality

By Frank M. Painter|November 17, 2022|Guidelines, Initial Provider, Low Back Pain|

Treatment of Lower Back Pain-The Gap between Guideline-Based Treatment and Medical Care Reality

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SOURCE: Healthcare (Basel) 2016 (Jul 15); 4 (3): 44 ~ FULL TEXT

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Andreas Werber and Marcus Schiltenwolf

Department of Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery,
University Hospital Giessen,
Klinikstr. 33, 35392
Giessen, Germany

Despite the fact that unspecific low back pain is of important impact in general health care, this pain condition is often treated insufficiently. Poor efficiency has led to the necessity of guidelines addressing evidence-based strategies for treatment of lower back pain (LBP). We present some statements of the German medical care reality. Self-responsible action of the patient should be supported while invasive methods in particular should be avoided due to lacking evidence in outcome efficiency. However, it has to be stated that no effective implementation strategy has been established yet. Especially, studies on the economic impact of different implementation strategies are lacking.

A lack of awareness of common available guidelines and an uneven distribution of existing knowledge throughout the population can be stated: persons with higher risk suffering from LBP by higher professional demands and lower educational level are not skilled in advised management of LBP. Both diagnostic imaging and invasive treatment methods increased dramatically leading to increased costs and doctor workload without being associated with improved patient functioning, severity of pain or overall health status due to the absence of a functioning primary care gate keeping system for patient selection.

Opioids are prescribed on a grand scale and over a long period. Moreover, opioid prescription is not indicated properly, when predominantly persons with psychological distress like somatoform disorders are treated with opioids.

Keywords: guideline-based treatment; low back pain; somatisation.

From the FULL TEXT Article:

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Adverse Impacts of Chronic Pain on Health-related Quality of Life, Work Productivity, Depression and Anxiety in a Community-based Study

By Frank M. Painter|November 5, 2022|Initial Provider, Low Back Pain, Spinal Pain Management|

Adverse Impacts of Chronic Pain on Health-related Quality of Life, Work Productivity, Depression and Anxiety in a Community-based Study

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SOURCE: Family Practice 2017 (Nov 16); 34 (6): 656–661

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Kosuke Kawai, Alison Tse Kawai, Peter Wollan, Barbara P Yawn

Clinical Research Center,
Boston Children’s Hospital,
Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA, USA.

Background: Chronic pain has major clinical and social consequences. Few studies have examined any variation in the extent of impairment on quality of life and work productivity by site and type of chronic pain.

Objective: The objective of our study is to examine adverse impacts of chronic pain on physical and psychological health and work productivity.

Methods: Our community-population study was based on a phone-interview of adults with chronic pain, residing in Olmsted County, MN. Chronic pain groups were categorized into abdominal pain, back pain, joint pain, multisite pain, neuropathic pain or no chronic pain. We used standardized instruments, including the Brief Pain Inventory, the Patients Health Questionnair-9, and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire.

Results: We evaluated 591 patients suffering from chronic pain and 150 participants with no chronic pain. Almost one third of patients with multisite pain (33%) and neuropathic pain (32%) reported mild/major depressive symptoms. Patients suffering from chronic pain, particularly from multisite pain and neuropathic pain, reported significant pain interferences with daily activities and impairments in physical function. Chronic pain was significantly associated with reduced performance at work but not with missed work hours. The average reported reduction in work productivity ranged from 2.4 hours (±5.6) per week for adults with joint chronic pain to 9.8 hours (±11.1) per week for adults with multisite chronic pain.

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A Retrospective Analysis of Pain Changes and Opioid Use Patterns Temporally Associated with a Course of Chiropractic Care at a Publicly Funded Inner-city Facility

By Frank M. Painter|November 4, 2022|Initial Provider, Opioid Epidemic|

A Retrospective Analysis of Pain Changes and Opioid Use Patterns Temporally Associated with a Course of Chiropractic Care at a Publicly Funded Inner-city Facility

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SOURCE: J Can Chiropr Assoc 2022 (Aug); 66 (2): 107–117

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Steven Passmore, Hons BKin, MS, DC, PhD, Quinn Malone, BSc, MSc1, Christian Manansala, BSc, DC, MSc, Spencer Ferbers, BSc,
E. Audrey Toth, DC, Gerald M. Olin, BSc, DC, CDir

Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management,
University of Manitoba,
102- Frank Kennedy Centre,
420 University Crescent,
Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2 Canada

FROM: Kazis et. al, BMJ Open 2019

Background: Non-pharmacologic treatment, including chiropractic care, is now recommended instead of opioid prescriptions as the initial management of chronic spine pain by clinical practice guidelines. Chiropractic care, commonly including spinal manipulation, has been temporally associated with reduced opioid prescription in veterans with spine pain.

Purpose: To determine if chiropractic management including spinal manipulation was associated with decreased pain or opioid usage in financially disadvantaged individuals utilizing opioid medications and diagnosed with musculoskeletal conditions.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of quality assurance data from a publicly funded healthcare facility was conducted. Measures included numeric pain scores of spine and extremity regions across three time points, opioid utilization, demographics, and care modalities.

Results: Pain and opioid use significantly decreased concomitant with a course of chiropractic care.

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Where to Start? A Two Stage Residual Inclusion Approach to Estimating Influence of the Initial Provider on Health Care Utilization and Costs for Low Back Pain in the US

By Frank M. Painter|May 28, 2022|Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic, Initial Provider|

Where to Start? A Two Stage Residual Inclusion Approach to Estimating Influence of the Initial Provider on Health Care Utilization and Costs for Low Back Pain in the US

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: BMC Health Serv Res 2022 (May 23); 22 (1): 694

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Kenneth J. Harwood, Jesse M. Pines, C. Holly A. Andrilla & Bianca K. Frogner

College of Health and Education,
Marymount University,
Arlington, VA, USA.

Background: Diagnostic testing and treatment recommendations can vary when medical care is sought by individuals for low back pain (LBP), leading to variation in quality and costs of care. We examine how the first provider seen by an individual at initial diagnosis of LBP influences downstream utilization and costs.

Methods: Using national private health insurance claims data, individuals age 18 or older were retrospectively assigned to cohorts based on the first provider seen at the index date of LBP diagnosis. Exclusion criteria included individuals with a diagnosis of LBP or any serious medical conditions or an opioid prescription recorded in the 6 months prior to the index date. Outcome measures included use of imaging, back surgery rates, hospitalization rates, emergency department visits, early- and long-term opioid use, and costs (out-of-pocket and total costs of care) twelve months post-index date. We used a two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) estimation approach comparing copay for the initial provider visit and differential distance as the instrumental variable to reduce selection bias in the choice of first provider, controlling for demographics.

Results: Among 3,799,593 individuals, cost and utilization varied considerably based on the first provider seen by the patient. Copay and differential distance provided similar results, with copay preserving a greater sample size. The frequency of early opioid prescription was significantly lower when care began with an acupuncturist or chiropractor, and highest for those who began with an emergency medicine physician or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). Long-term opioid prescriptions were low across most providers except physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians and APRNs. The frequency and time to serious illness varied little across providers. Total cost of care was lowest when starting with a chiropractor ($5,093) or primary care physician ($5,660), and highest when starting with an orthopedist ($9,434) or acupuncturist ($9,205).

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