S. Mose1,2, P.M. Kent3,4, A. Smith3, J.H. Andersen2, D.H. Christiansen2
1VIA University College, School of Physiotherapy, Holstebro, Denmark, 2Central Denmark Region & Aarhus University, Department of Occupational Medicine - University Research Clinic, Herning, Denmark, 3Curtin University, School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Perth, Australia, 4University of Southern Denmark, Center for Muscle and Joint Health, Odense, Denmark
Background: People with musculoskeletal pain seek more healthcare than the general population, however little is known about the long-term effect on healthcare utilization.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the consequences of number of musculoskeletal pain sites on long-term care-seeking and healthcare-related costs and explore how health anxiety influences this relationship.
Methods: We conducted a population-based longitudinal cohort study of 4,883 participants combining self-reported survey data from 2008 with ten-year follow-up data from national health registers. Using a causal inference framework, we examined associations between number of pain sites (range 0-7)/level of health anxiety (high/low level) and face-to-face healthcare contacts/healthcare-related costs. Data were analyzed using negative binomial regression with generalized estimating equations.
Results: For each additional pain site general healthcare contacts (IRR: 1.04 (CI: 1.03-1.05)), healthcare-related costs (IRR: 1.06 (CI: 1.03-1.08)) and musculoskeletal healthcare contacts (IRR: 1.11 (CI:1.09-1.14)) increased. Those with high levels of health anxiety at baseline had a slightly higher number of general healthcare contacts (IRR 1.06 (1.01-1.11)), independent of number of pain sites. However, level of anxiety did not influence the effect of number of pain sites on any healthcare utilization outcomes.
Conclusion(s): Number of pain sites resulted in increased long-term healthcare utilization, and high levels of health anxiety did not increase the strength of this association.
Implications: The results add knowledge about drivers of care-seeking and may assist healthcare professionals in formulating patient communication and clinical decision-making in order to optimize healthcare utilization.
Funding, acknowledgements: None of the authors received any specific grants for this publication and have no conflicts of interest.
Keywords: Musculoskeletal pain, Healthcare utilization, Number of pain sites
Topic: Pain & pain management
Did this work require ethics approval? No
Institution: Ministry of Higher Education and Science
Committee: THE DANISH NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON HEALTH RESEARCH ETHICS
Reason: According to Danish law, this type of study does not require approval by committees on research ethics
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
