Author Interviews, Pain Research, Stanford / 11.03.2016
Epidural Steroid Injections May Reduce Costs As Well As Pain
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Eric Sun, MD/PhD
Instructor
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Stanford University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Dr. Sun: Epidural steroid injections are frequently used to treat chronic low back pain. While previous studies have shown they are effective at improving symptoms, whether they reduce spending is unknown. These concerns are particularly salient because insurers are worried that epidural steroid injections are being overused.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Dr. Sun: Overall, we find that epidural steroid injections were associated with decreases in spending ranging from five to fifteen percent, depending on the specific indication. These differences were largely driven by decreases in outpatient spending (e.g., spending on outpatient physician visits).
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