The Health Care and Productivity Costs of Back and Neck Pain in A Multi-Employer Sample of Utility Industry Employees. Issue 1 (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lerner, Debra; Rogers, William H.; Chang, Hong; Rodday, Angie Mae; Greenhill, Annabel; Villagra, Victor G.; Antetomaso, James R.; Patel, Aarti A.; Vo, Lien
• Is Part Of: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 57:Issue 1(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental health; Medicine, Industrial; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000280
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-2752

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Objective:</title> <p>To determine the cost of back and/or neck (B/N) pain among predominantly rural employees insured through an employee benefits trust.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Methods:</title> <p>Eligible employees had 1 year or more of medical coverage and completed a survey subsequently linked to their claims data. B/N pain costs consisted of medical and pharmacy claims, over-the-counter expenses, and presenteeism and absenteeism costs valued according to median occupational earnings.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Results:</title> <p>Of 1342 eligible employees, 52.7% currently had B/N pain of which 87.9% was chronic. The average annualized cost of B/N pain per employee was $1727; 56.1% was due to lost productivity. Covered medical care was utilized by 35.6% of employees, 55.7% used pharmacy care, and 71.6% purchased uncovered over-the-counter pain medication.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Conclusions:</title> <p>Many covered employees did not use formal care. The effect of care choices on productivity costs requires closer scrutiny.</p> </sec> </abstract>