MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Erin R. Schlemmer, MPH
Health Care Manager / Epidemiologist
Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study?
Response: Low back pain (LBP) is a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits. Usually, uncomplicated acute LBP is a benign, self-limited condition that can be managed without the need for imaging studies. However, national data have shown that a substantial proportion of ED patients with LBP receive imaging studies, and that the use of advanced imaging has increased considerably for this population in recent years.
A number of groups (including specialty societies, a consortium of health plan medical directors, and an expert panel of emergency medicine physicians) have offered recommendations for the appropriate use of imaging for Low back pain. Within these guidelines, there are a number of “red flag” conditions that serve as indications for Low back pain imaging, and it is generally accepted that most patients do not require imaging to inform treatment of their
Low back pain unless they have one or more red flags.
Our objective was to use claims data from a large commercial insurer to describe the imaging indications and imaging status of patients presenting to the ED with Low back pain, and to describe demographic and healthcare use characteristics associated with non-indicated imaging.
MedicalResearch: What are the main findings?
Response: We found that over half (51.9%) of all patients presenting to the ED with low back pain had no claims-based evidence of indications for imaging. Overall, 36.5% of patients received imaging, and 10.2% received advanced imaging (CT or MRI). Among patients with imaging indications, the most common indication was trauma (71.6%), followed by cancer (24.0%). Although nearly a third of non-indicated patients received imaging, this population had a lower prevalence of imaging compared to patients with imaging indications (30.1% vs. 43.5%), and were also less likely to have prior healthcare use (such as ED visits) in the past year. Among non-indicated patients who received imaging, 26.2% received advanced imaging (CT or MRI) and 4.3% had >1 type of imaging.
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