Table 6 Comparison of health care costs in studies also examining clinical outcomes
Chiropractic care | Comparator group(s) | Comparator | Lowest | Differencea | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First author | Year | Health care costs included | n | Costs | n | Costs | |||
Bronfort [46] | 2000 | Office visits, injections | 7 | $550 | 1. Medical physician care (i.e. prescriptions NSAIDs, acetaminophen, mild narcotic, activity modification, self-care instruction from a PT) | 13 | $1,285 | Chiropractic | −57 % |
2. ESI with activity modification and self-care instruction from a PT | |||||||||
Carey [40] | 1995 | Outpatient costs (office visits, radiography, other imaging, medication, PT, other treatment) | 606 | $684 | 1. Urban medical physician primary careb | 1,027 | $536 | Comparator | 28 % |
2. Rural medical physician primary careb | |||||||||
3. Orthopedistb | |||||||||
4. HMO provider (i.e. NPs and PAs) | |||||||||
Cherkin [44] | 1998 | Office visits, imaging, laboratory tests, medications | 122 | $429 | 1. PT care (i.e. exercise, lumbar cushion support, McKenzie book, education) | 199 | $343 | Comparator | 25 % |
2. Educational booklet (i.e. The Back Book) | |||||||||
Haas [41] | 2005 | Office visits, advanced imaging, surgical consultation, PT | 1,855 | $222 | Medical physician care (i.e. prescription drugs, exercise, self-care advice, PT referral) | 925 | $211 | Comparator | 5 % |
Kominski [45] | 2005 | Outpatient costs (office visits, surgery, injection, other) | 325 | $558 | 1. Medical physician care (i.e. back care advice, exercise, bed rest, narcotic analgesics, muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatories, OTC pain relievers) | 329 | $616 | Chiropractic | −10 % |
2. Medical physician care + physical modalities (i.e. heat, cold, ultrasound, EMS, soft tissue and joint mobilization, mechanical traction, SET) | |||||||||
Sharma [43] | 2009 | Office visits, advanced imaging, surgical consultation, PT | 1,558 | $220 | Medical physician care | 744 | $205 | Comparator | 8 % |
Stano [42] | 2002 | Office visits, medication, radiography | 1,524 | $214 | 1. Medical physician care + referral to surgeon and/or PT | 739 | $123 | Comparator | 74 % |
2. Medical physician care without referral to surgeon or PT |