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Cost analysis comparing guideline-oriented biopsychosocial management to usual care for low-back pain: a cluster-randomized trial in occupational health primary care
Linköping University, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Division of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Community Medicine. Linköping University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7489-9245
Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Wellbeing Services County of South Karelia, Lappeenranta, Finland.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2158-6042
Linköping University, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Division of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Community Medicine. Linköping University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8612-583X
Research Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4531-8306
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2025 (English)In: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, ISSN 0355-3140, E-ISSN 1795-990XArticle in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effect of a brief training intervention for occupational health services (OHS) professionals on multiprofessional resource utilization and the costs of biopsychosocial management of patients with low-back pain (LBP) compared to usual care among all participants and those in work disability-based risk groups. Methods OHS utilization and back-related sick leave data were collected from electronic patient records over one-year follow-up comparing 232 patients in the intervention arm and 80 control-arm patients, stratified for risk of work disability based on the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire. We estimated costs using linear mixed models by multiplying unit costs (in euros) by each type of OHS resource use (visits to physicians, physiotherapists, nurses, use of imaging) and the number of sick leaves. Estimated mean cost differences with confidence intervals (CI) were reported using bootstrapping to deal with skewed cost data. Results The median number of visits to physicians and physiotherapists in the intervention versus control arms was 1 [interquartile range (IQR) 0-3] and 2 (IQR 1-4) versus 2 (IQR 1-3) and 1 (IQR 0-2), respectively. The intervention arm accrued lower physician costs (<euro>-43, 95% CI <euro>-82--3, P=0.034) and higher physiotherapist costs (<euro>55, 95% CI <euro>26-84, P<0.001) compared to the control arm. There was no statistically significant difference in average total costs between the arms (<euro>-1908, 95% CI <euro>-6734-2919). In the low- and medium-risk groups of work disability, physiotherapist costs were higher in the intervention than control arm, but no statistically significant differences were observed between the arms in the total resource utilization or sickness absence costs. Conclusions Brief biopsychosocial training may support shifting OHS resources towards multiprofessional physiotherapist-driven care, instead of solely physician-driven care, for management of patients with LBP in differing risk groups of work disability with no substantial differences in total costs.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL WORK ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH , 2025.
Keywords [en]
health services research; implementation research; occupational health service; pain; resource; return to work; risk stratification; screening; workability; Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire; Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire; implementation research; occupational health service; pain; resource; return to work; risk stratification; screening; workability; Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire
National Category
Rehabilitation Medicine
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-211756DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.4212ISI: 001428791200001PubMedID: 39970070Scopus ID: 39970070OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-211756DiVA, id: diva2:1938897
Note

Funding Agencies|Finnish Work Environment Fund; Finnish Cultural Foundation; Finnish Association on the Study of Pain

Available from: 2025-02-19 Created: 2025-02-19 Last updated: 2025-12-09

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Paukkunen, MaijaKarppinen, JaroÖberg, BirgittaAla-Mursula, LeenaAbbott, Allan
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Division of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Community MedicineFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesDepartment of Orthopaedics in Linköping
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Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
Rehabilitation Medicine

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Citation style
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