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Characteristics and health care costs in patients with a diagnostic imaging for low back pain in Switzerland

Author

Listed:
  • Stefania Di Gangi

    (University and University Hospital Zürich)

  • Christophe Bagnoud

    (Groupe Mutuel)

  • Giuseppe Pichierri

    (University and University Hospital Zürich)

  • Thomas Rosemann

    (University and University Hospital Zürich)

  • Andreas Plate

    (University and University Hospital Zürich)

Abstract

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders worldwide and a frequent cause for health care utilization with a high economic burden. A large proportion of diagnostic imaging in patients with LBP is inappropriate and can cause more harm than good, which in turn can lead to higher health care costs. The aim of this study was to determine characteristics and health care costs for patients with a diagnostic imaging for LBP in Switzerland. Groupe Mutuel, one of the biggest health care insurance companies in Switzerland and covering approximately 12% of the population, provided data for this analysis. Patients were identified by diagnostic imaging for the lumbar spine in 2016 or 2017. The study period was 2015–2019, that is one year before and two years after the year of imaging. Regression analysis models were used to identify patient variables associated with higher health care costs. A total of 75,296 patients (57% female, mean age: 54.5 years) were included into the study. Magnetic resonance imaging was the most commonly used diagnostic method (44.3%). Patients generated annual mean health care costs of 518,488,470 CHF (466,639,621 Euro) in the whole observation period; 640 million CHF (576 million Euro) in the index year. Overall, costs for LBP patients were 72% higher compared with the costs of no LBP patients. Our findings confirm the economic burden of LBP and highlight the importance of ongoing efforts to improve prevention, diagnostics and patient care in patients with LBP.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefania Di Gangi & Christophe Bagnoud & Giuseppe Pichierri & Thomas Rosemann & Andreas Plate, 2022. "Characteristics and health care costs in patients with a diagnostic imaging for low back pain in Switzerland," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 23(5), pages 823-835, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujhec:v:23:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s10198-021-01397-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10198-021-01397-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Francette Koechlin & Paul Konijn & Luca Lorenzoni & Paul Schreyer, 2014. "Comparing Hospital and Health Prices and Volumes Internationally: Results of a Eurostat/OECD Project," OECD Health Working Papers 75, OECD Publishing.
    2. Dawit T Zemedikun & Jesse Kigozi & Gwenllian Wynne-Jones & Alessandra Guariglia & Tracy Roberts, 2021. "Methodological considerations in the assessment of direct and indirect costs of back pain: A systematic scoping review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(5), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Simon Wieser & Bruno Horisberger & Sara Schmidhauser & Claudia Eisenring & Urs Brügger & Andreas Ruckstuhl & Jürg Dietrich & Anne Mannion & Achim Elfering & Özgür Tamcan & Urs Müller, 2011. "Cost of low back pain in Switzerland in 2005," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 12(5), pages 455-467, October.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Low back pain; Characteristics; Diagnostic imaging; Economic burden; Health care costs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private

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