Abstract
Objective
Chronic pain in children and adolescents gives rise to high health care costs. Successful treatment is supposed to reduce the economic burden. The objective of this study was to determine the changes in health care utilization and expenditures from one year before (Pre) intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) to the first (Post 1) and second (Post 2) years after discharge in a sample of pediatric chronic pain patients.
Methods
Claims data from one statutory health insurance company were analyzed for 119 children and adolescents (mean age = 15.3, 68.9% female) who sought IIPT at the German Pediatric Pain Centre. Costs incurred for inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, medication, remedies and aids were compared before treatment and two years after discharge. Health care utilization was compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and expenditures using trimmed means and the Yuen’s t-test.
Results
Overall costs were significantly lower in the two years after IIPT compared to before IIPT (Pre: 3543€, Post 1: 2681€, Post 2: 1937€ (trimmed means)). Health care utilization changed significantly; hospitalizations decreased in the years after discharge, while psychotherapies stayed stable in the year after discharge but lessened in the second year.
Conclusion
The results of this study support prior findings on the high economic burden of pediatric chronic pain. IIPT may contribute to a transition in health care utilization from somatic-focused treatments to more psychological treatments. Overall costs were reduced as soon as the first year after discharge and decreased even further in the second year.
from Wiley: European Journal of Pain: Table of Contents https://ift.tt/3wR5wtb
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