Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA | [b] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA | [c] Department of Orthopedics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ashwin N. Babu, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, 300 First Ave, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA. Tel.: +1 617 952 5000; E-mail:ashwinbabumd@gmail.com
Abstract: In the past two decades, the cost associated with managing low back pain has
increased significantly. Improved consciousness of how clinicians utilize
resources when managing low back pain is necessary in the current economic
climate. The goal of this review is to examine the component costs
associated with managing low back pain and provide practical solutions for
reducing healthcare costs. This is accomplished by utilizing examples from
a major metropolitan area with several major academic institutions and
private health care centers. It is clear that there is considerable local
and national variation in the component costs of managing low back pain,
including physician visits, imaging studies, medications, and therapy
services. By being well informed about these variations in one's
environment, clinicians and patients alike can make strides towards reducing
the financial impact of low back pain. Investigation of the cost
discrepancies for services within one's community of practice is important. Improved public access to both cost and outcomes data is needed.
Keywords: Health expenditure, low back pain, delivery of health care
