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Study: Doctors overuse imaging for lower-back pain
Does your lower back hurt? Your doctor may very well order an imaging study of the area, even if the scan isn't strictly needed. That's the conclusion drawn by new research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. To do their analysis, researchers looked at Medicare claims from 2000 to 2002 and 2004 to 2006 for 35,039 fee-for-service beneficiaries with acute lower-back pain.
Established guidelines suggest that rapid and advanced imaging for lower-back pain doesn't do much for patients who have no complications or triggering issues, such as cancer. But doctors continue to use such tests in other contexts.
Doctors were more likely to use rapid and advanced imaging in caring for uncomplicated lower-back pain when it improved patient satisfaction, researchers found. Imaging use also varied depending on the type of physician and practice size, as well as reimbursement.
For example, Medicaid patients treated in practices relying more on government insurance received less-rapid and less-advanced imaging for lower-back problems. Small and solo practices, as well as family and general practitioners, also ordered fewer advantaged imaging tests.
To learn more about this research:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)
Related Articles:
FL leads nation in imaging
GAO report recommends imaging cost controls
MD self-referrals for imaging slipping through
Study: Specialists order more imaging within specialty
Comments
By Anonymous | Posted 2:53pm | May 26, 2009
My son had lower back pain. After seeing three physicians, an MRI was ordered. It turned out that he had a spinal ependymoma that required surgery to remove. Left undetected, the tumor would ultimately have resulted in long term damage and loss of function.
Unfortunately, imaging is the only way of detecting these kinds of problems. If we want to reduce health care costs, a better place to look would be unnecessary end-of-life care.
By Anonymous | Posted 12:05am | May 27, 2009
Just wondering about comment above. Did your son have any other symptoms besides back pain? I also have lower back pain on left size and been to 3 doctors who all say it sciatica pain. I am in quite severe pain and all im being told is it could take weeks even though its been over two wks. I understand scans are being over used but what about people who are not getting any better?
By olaf | Posted 12:29pm | May 28, 2009
There are natural ways to get rid of Back Pain.
In my earlier years I got injured in my back after playing ball, and never acually recovered since it happened . And this alone had a great infect on my life and work for over 20 years. Not much could be done, I tried to live with the constant pain in my back. After my studies and readings on the Internet and hearing testimonials from many people using Theraphy relaited to acupuncture for lower back pain I decided to try it out. my story:
www.lifewavecure.com
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