Medical Spending For U.S. Residents With Back, Neck Problems Increased By 65% From 1997 To 2005, Study Finds
For the study, led by Brook Martin of the Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at the University of Washington, researchers analyzed data from household surveys conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality annually from 1997 to 2005. The surveys each year included responses from about 23,000 U.S. residents. Researchers used the surveys, which included pharmacy and medical record data, to estimate spending on diagnosis and treatment of spinal problems (Parker-Pope, New York Times, 2/13).
According to the study, although spending on diagnosis and treatment of spinal problems increased by an estimated 65% from 1997 to 2005, the percentage of patients who continued to report physical, professional and social limitations as a result of such conditions also increased from an estimated 20.4% to 24.7% during the same period (Reuters/Los Angeles Times, 2/13).
The study found that outpatient spending on spinal problems increased by an estimated 74%, to about $31 million, from 1997 to 2005 and that spending on emergency care for such conditions increased by an estimated 46%, to about $2.6 billion, during the same period. In addition, the study found that spending on surgeries and other inpatient hospital care for spinal problems increased by an estimated 25%, to about $24 billion, from 1997 to 2005. Comments
Martin said, "We're putting a lot of money into this problem, and it's a big investment in health care expenditures, but we're not seeing health status commensurate with those investments" (New York Times, 2/13). Martin added, "Nobody has a good answer for how much is too much" treatment for spinal problems (Rubin, USA Today, 2/13).
Richard Deyo, a physician at the Oregon Health and Science University and a co-author of the study, said, "I do worry there is a combination of side effects and unnecessary treatments, and labeling people as being fragile when they're really not." He added, "The combination of those kinds of things may actually be in some cases doing more harm than good" (New York Times, 2/13).
However, Stephen Ondra, an associate professor of neurological surgery at Northwestern University, said that, because the study involved an analysis of surveys, the results are "not a valid tool to assess treatment or outcome" (Lopatto, Bloomberg/Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/13).
An abstract of the study is available online.
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De cheltuieli medicale pentru SUA de rezidenþi cu spatele, gâtul probleme a crescut cu 65% de la 1997 la 2005, studiu constatã - Medical Spending For U.S. Residents With Back, Neck Problems Increased By 65% From 1997 To 2005, Study Finds - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate