Associations Between Relative Value Units and Patient-Reported Back Pain and Disability. (16th January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gold, Laura S.; Bryan, Matthew; Comstock, Bryan A.; Bresnahan, Brian W.; Deyo, Richard A.; Nedeljkovic, Srdjan S.; Nerenz, David R.; Heagerty, Patrick; Jarvik, Jeffrey G.
• Is Part Of: Gerontology & geriatric medicine. Volume 3(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-01-16
• Subjects: electronic health records -- low back pain -- patient-reported outcomes -- relative value units (RVUs) -- Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire score; Gerontology -- Periodicals; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; 618.97005
• DOI: 10.1177/2333721416686019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2333-7214

Abstract

Objective: To describe associations between health care utilization measures and patient-reported outcomes (PROs).Method: Primary data were collected from patients ≥65 years with low back pain visits from 2011 to 2013. Six PROs of pain and functionality were collected 12 and 24 months after the index visits and total and spine-specific relative value units (RVUs) from electronic health records were tabulated over 1 year. We calculated correlation coefficients between RVUs and 12- and 24-month PROs and conducted linear regressions with each 12- and 24-month PRO as the outcome variables and RVUs as predictors of interest.Results: We observed very weak correlations between worse PROs at 12 and 24 months and greater 12-month utilization. In regression analyses, we observed slight associations between greater utilization and worse 12- and 24-month PROs.Discussion: We found that 12-month health care utilization is not strongly associated with PROs at 12 or 24 months.