Abrams, D

Dinan, M

Dolor, R

Reed, S

Roberts, R

Wolever, R

English

PubMed

M Dinan

R Roberts

S Reed

R Wolever

D Abrams

R Dolor

Springer - Publisher Connector

P04.68. Costs associated with integrative medicine interventions on chronic pain

POSTER PRESENTATION Open Access
P04.68. Costs associated with integrative
medicine interventions on chronic pain
M Dinan1*, R Roberts1, S Reed1, R Wolever2, D Abrams3, R Dolor2
From International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health 2012
Portland, Oregon, USA. 15-18 May 2012
Purpose
In this study we evaluate the feasibility of using a newly
formed practice-based research network of nine U.S.
leading integrative medicine centers, called BraveNet, to
assess the utilization and costs of integrative medicine
interventions used to treat patients who suffer from
chronic pain.
Methods
Adult patients seeking their initial treatment for chronic
pain at a BraveNet center were asked to participate in a
prospective, observational survey. Patient-level data col-
lection included longitudinal measures of pain, quality
of life, and integrative medicine treatment utilization.
Study sites provided estimates of typical charges and
insurance reimbursement amounts (when appropriate)
for treatments available at each center. We computed
the median charge for each service as a proxy for cost
and multiplied these estimates by the quantities of spe-
cific services provided to each patient.
Results
A total of 409 patients initially enrolled in the study,
with a mean duration of pain of 8 years at enrollment.
A total of 322/409 (79%) patients completed a baseline
visit and at least one follow-up visit at 6, 12, or 24
weeks. Over the 24 week study period these patients uti-
lized a mean of 21.5 treatments and incurred mean
costs of $2511, resulting in an average of $117 per treat-
ment. The most frequently used therapies were acu-
puncture (40%) followed by massage therapy (20%),
which were used an average of 11.5 and 12 times among
patients receiving at least one session. Total costs varied
widely by therapy, facility, and patient. Only acupunc-
ture and integrative medicine consults were routinely
reimbursed by private insurance. Mean out-of-pocket
costs for acupuncture, integrative medicine consults,
and massage therapy were $483, $173, and $184,
respectively.
Conclusion
Integrative medicine centers provide multiple treatment
options for chronic pain. Wide variability in the cost
and utilization of integrative medicine techniques poses
a challenge to developing precise and generalizable esti-
mates of cost-effectiveness.
Author details
1Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, USA. 2Duke University Medical
Center, Durham, USA. 3UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, San
Francisco, USA.
Published: 12 June 2012
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-S1-P338
Cite this article as: Dinan et al.: P04.68. Costs associated with
integrative medicine interventions on chronic pain. BMC Complementary
and Alternative Medicine 2012 12(Suppl 1):P338.
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Dinan et al. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012, 12(Suppl 1):P338
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/S1/P338
© 2012 Dinan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
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P04.68. Costs associated with integrative medicine interventions on chronic pain

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