Cost Utility Analysis of Interdisciplinary Early Intervention vs Treatment as Usual For High-Risk Acute Low Back Pain Patients
Rogerson MD, Gatchel RJ, Bierner SM.
Pain Pract. 2010 Apr 5.
Abstract Chronic pain is a costly and debilitating condition that has proven difficult to treat, solely with medical interventions, due to the complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors in its onset and persistence. Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of interdisciplinary treatment that includes psychosocial interventions for low back pain. Nevertheless, these interventions continue to be under-utilized due to concerns of cost and applicability. The present study utilized a cost utility analysis to evaluate effectiveness and associated costs of interdisciplinary early intervention for individuals with acute low back pain that was identified as high-risk for becoming chronic. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated using a standard pain measure and quality-adjusted life years, and associated medical and employment costs were gathered for 1 year. Results indicated that subjects improved significantly from pretreatment to 1-year follow-up, and that the early intervention group reported fewer health-care visits and missed workdays than the treatment as usual group. The majority of 1,000 bootstrapped samples demonstrated the dominance of the early intervention program as being both more effective and less costly from a societal perspective. The early intervention treatment was the preferred option in over 85% of samples within an established range of acceptable costs. These results are encouraging evidence for the cost-effectiveness of interdisciplinary intervention and the benefits of targeted early treatment.
Validation of proposed diagnostic criteria (the "Budapest Criteria") for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
Harden RN, Bruehl S, Perez RS, et al.
Pain. 2010 May 19.
rrent IASP diagnostic criteria for CRPS have low specificity, potentially leading to overdiagnosis. This validation study compared current IASP diagnostic criteria for CRPS to proposed new diagnostic criteria (the "Budapest Criteria") regarding diagnostic accuracy. Structured evaluations of CRPS-related signs and symptoms were conducted in 113 CRPS-I and 47 non-CRPS neuropathic pain patients. Discriminating between diagnostic groups based on presence of signs or symptoms meeting IASP criteria showed high diagnostic sensitivity (1.00), but poor specificity (0.41), replicating prior work. In comparison, the Budapest clinical criteria retained the exceptional sensitivity of the IASP criteria (0.99), but greatly improved upon the specificity (0.68). As designed, the Budapest research criteria resulted in the highest specificity (0.79), again replicating prior work. Analyses indicated that inclusion of four distinct CRPS components in the Budapest Criteria contributed to enhanced specificity. Overall, results corroborate the validity of the Budapest Criteria and suggest they improve upon existing IASP diagnostic criteria for CRPS. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain and the occurrence of falls in an older population.
Leveille SG, Jones RN, Kiely DK, et al.
JAMA. 2009;302(20):2214-21.
CONTEXT: Chronic pain is a major contributor to disability in older adults; however, the potential role of chronic pain as a risk factor for falls is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether chronic musculoskeletal pain is associated with an increased occurrence of falls in a cohort of community-living older adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly (MOBILIZE) Boston Study is a population-based longitudinal study of falls involving 749 adults aged 70 years and older. Participants were enrolled from September 2005 through January 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Participants recorded falls on monthly calendar postcards mailed to the study center during an 18-month period. RESULTS: There were 1029 falls reported during the follow-up. A report of 2 or more locations of musculoskeletal pain at baseline was associated with greater occurrence of falls. The age-adjusted rates of falls per person-year were 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.23) for the 300 participants with 2 or more sites of joint pain, 0.90 (95% CI, 0.87-0.92) for the 181 participants with single-site pain, and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.74-0.81) for the 267 participants with no joint pain. Similarly, more severe or disabling pain at baseline was associated with higher fall rates (P < .05). The association persisted after adjusting for multiple confounders and fall risk factors. The greatest risk for falls was observed in persons who had 2 or more pain sites (adjusted rate ratio [RR], 1.53; 95% CI, 1.17-1.99), and those in the highest tertiles of pain severity (adjusted RR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.12-2.08) and pain interference with activities (adjusted RR, 1.53; 95%CI, 1.15-2.05), compared with their peers with no pain or those in the lowest tertiles of pain scores. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain measured according to number of locations, severity, or pain interference with daily activities was associated with greater risk of falls in older adults.
Alteration of cortical excitability in patients with fibromyalgia.
Mhalla A, de Andrade DC, Baudic S, Perrot S, Bouhassira D.
Pain. 2010 Mar 30.
We assessed cortical excitability and intracortical modulation systematically, by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex, in patients with fibromyalgia. In total 46 female patients with fibromyalgia and 21 normal female subjects, matched for age, were included in this study. TMS was applied to the hand motor area of both hemispheres and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded for the first interosseous muscle of the contralateral hand. Single-pulse stimulation was used for measurements of the rest motor threshold (RMT) and suprathreshold MEP. Paired-pulse stimulation was used to assess short intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF). Putative correlations were sought between changes in electrophysiological parameters and major clinical features of fibromyalgia, such as pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression and catastrophizing. The RMT on both sides was significantly increased in patients with fibromyalgia and suprathreshold MEP was significantly decreased bilaterally. However, these alterations, suggesting a global decrease in corticospinal excitability, were not correlated with clinical features. Patients with fibromyalgia also had lower ICF and SICI on both sides, than controls, these lower values being correlated with fatigue, catastrophizing and depression. These neurophysiological alterations were not linked to medication, as similar changes were observed in patients with or without psychotropic treatment. In conclusion, fibromyalgia is associated with deficits in intracortical modulation involving both GABAergic and glutamatergic mechanisms, possibly related to certain aspects of the pathophysiology of this chronic pain syndrome. Our data add to the growing body of evidence for objective and quantifiable changes in brain function in fibromyalgia. Copyright © 2010 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Indirect costs associated with surgery for low back pain-a secondary analysis of clinical trial data.
Fayssoux R, Goldfarb NI, Vaccaro AR, Harrop J.
Popul Health Manag. 2010;13(1):9-13.
This study examines the indirect costs associated with surgery for axial low back pain using data obtained from a prospective multicenter clinical trial that compared Charité artificial disc replacement with anterior lumbar interbody fusion using iliac crest bone graft. While 75% of study subjects reported full- or part-time employment prior to surgery, this percentage dropped to 45% at 6 weeks postoperatively. Return to preoperative employment levels occurred at approximately 6 months postoperatively. Two years after surgery, employment levels were 16% higher than preoperative levels. Lost productivity related to absenteeism resulted in lost wages averaging $2884 per patient during the first postoperative year. Although short-term indirect costs of surgery are substantial from a societal perspective, the higher employment rate at 2 years suggests a long-term economic benefit. The findings demonstrate the significant, though not surprising, impact of spinal disability on productivity, and the importance of including measurement of lost productivity and return to work in the economic evaluation of related interventions.
Developing a minimum standard of care for treating people with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.
March L, Amatya B, Osborne RH, Brand C.
Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2010;24(1):121-45.
We reviewed three recently published guidelines for the management of osteoarthritis (OA) and considered the evidence and potential for implementation. From this we propose a minimum standard of care, or a 'core set' of interventions, that should be offered to all patients with OA of the hip and/or knee. Eight core recommendations emerged where it is recommended that health-care professionals: Provide advice about, and offer access to appropriate information for OA self-management and lifestyle change; Provide advice about weight loss if patient is overweight or obese and refer to services as required; Provide advice for land-based exercises incorporating aerobic and strengthening components and refer to services as required; Recommend adequate paracetamol for pain relief; Make patients aware that non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or coxibs can improve symptoms in majority but this comes with potential for harm and that risk potential varies--be aware of and minimise the individual's risk potential; Offer intra-articular steroids for short-term relief of a flare or acute deterioration in symptoms; Offer stronger analgesic relief if prolonged severe symptoms; Offer access to assessment for arthroplasty for consumers with severe symptomatic OA not responding to conservative therapy. An integrated, chronic disease model of care is proposed to best implement OA management and a check list of clinical indicators/performance measures is provided. Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Cortical thickness and pain sensitivity in zen meditators.
Grant JA, Courtemanche J, Duerden EG, et al.
Emotion. 2010;10(1):43-53.
Zen meditation has been associated with low sensitivity on both the affective and the sensory dimensions of pain. Given reports of gray matter differences in meditators as well as between chronic pain patients and controls, the present study investigated whether differences in brain morphometry are associated with the low pain sensitivity observed in Zen practitioners. Structural MRI scans were performed and the temperature required to produce moderate pain was assessed in 17 meditators and 18 controls. Meditators had significantly lower pain sensitivity than controls. Assessed across all subjects, lower pain sensitivity was associated with thicker cortex in affective, pain-related brain regions including the anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus and anterior insula. Comparing groups, meditators were found to have thicker cortex in the dorsal anterior cingulate and bilaterally in secondary somatosensory cortex. More years of meditation experience was associated with thicker gray matter in the anterior cingulate, and hours of experience predicted more gray matter bilaterally in the lower leg area of the primary somatosensory cortex as well as the hand area in the right hemisphere. Results generally suggest that pain sensitivity is related to cortical thickness in pain-related brain regions and that the lower sensitivity observed in meditators may be the product of alterations to brain morphometry from long-term practice.
Urine drug testing in the treatment of chronic noncancer pain: implications of recent Medicare policy changes in Kentucky.
Gilbert JW, Wheeler GR, Mick GE, et al.
Pain Physician. 2010;13(2):167-86.
BACKGROUND: Urine drug testing has become a widely used tool in American society for deterring illicit drug use. In the practice of medicine, urine drug testing is commonly used to help diagnose substance misuse, abuse, or addiction. OBJECTIVE: This narrative review provides an informed perspective on the importance of urine drug testing in the medical treatment of chronic noncancer pain. The history and current uses of urine drug tests in the United States are reviewed, the prevalence and nature of prescription drug misuse is described as is related to chronic noncancer pain, and implications and considerations for practitioners are presented related to the noncancer pain diagnosis and treatment. DISCUSSION: Practitioners are confronted with the ethical and legal dilemma of being called to adequately treat chronic pain in a culture with a high prevalence of prescription drug abuse. Yet the symptoms of drug abuse are nonspecific and therefore of limited value to the practitioner in determining patient compliance to drug treatment regimens. In contrast, urine drug testing has a reliable history, both in and out of medicine, as an independent sign of drug misuse. This sign can be used to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of drug misuse and underlying addictions to improve patient outcomes. CONCLUSION: Regular urine drug testing should be a part of acute and chronic pain management whether or not the patient has any signs or symptoms of drug misuse.
Chronic low back pain analgesic studies - A methodological minefield.
Moore RA, Straube S, Derry S, et al.
Pain. 2010 Mar 19.
Reducing patient barriers to pain and fatigue management.
Borneman T, Koczywas M, Sun VC, et al.
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2010;39(3):486-501.
CONTEXT: Pain and fatigue are recognized as critical symptoms that impact the quality of life of cancer patients. The barriers to pain and fatigue relief have been classified into three categories: patient, professional, and system barriers. OBJECTIVES: The overall objective of this trial as to test the effects of the "Passport to Comfort" intervention on reducing barriers to pain and fatigue management for ambulatory care cancer patients. METHODS: This quasi-experimental, comparative study uses a Phase 1 control group of usual care followed sequentially by a Phase 2 intervention group in which educational and system-change efforts were directed toward improved pain and fatigue management. A sample of 187 cancer patients with breast, lung, colon, or prostate cancers, and a pain and/or fatigue rating of 4 or more (moderate to severe), were recruited. Patients in the intervention group received four educational sessions on pain/fatigue assessment and management, whereas patients in the control group received usual care. Pain and fatigue barriers and patient knowledge were measured at baseline, one month, and three months post-accrual. RESULTS: Patients in the intervention group experienced significant improvements in pain and fatigue measures immediately postintervention, and these improvements were sustained over time. CONCLUSION: The "Passport to Comfort" intervention was effective in reducing patient barriers to pain and fatigue management as well as in increasing patient knowledge regarding pain and fatigue. This intervention demonstrates innovation by translating the evidence-based guidelines for pain and fatigue as developed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network into practice. (c) 2010 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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