Back Pain Recognition Program: an opportunity to improve quality assurance; integrate best practices; and deliver high-quality, patient-centered care.

摘要

The widespread impact of back pain has received much attention for the past few years. Health care costs are far outpacing inflation and wage increases, with costs for spine-related conditions rising at a faster pace than other conditions. Low back pain is the third leading cause of disability in the workplace and sixth most costly condition. The estimated direct costs attributable to low back pain range from dollar12.2 billion to Dollars 90 billion dollars annually. Recognizing the enormous impact of back pain, the health care industry is reacting by taking steps to improve outcomes and minimize costs by identifying physicians best suited to provide care for patients with back pain. These actions have resulted in pay-for-performance (P4P) and high-performance provider networks being developed and implemented. These networks generally incent practitioners to participate and patients to seek out participating providers. Martin suggests that the combination of increasing costs and questionable effects of many treatment approaches encourages "evidence-based clinical treatment guidelines and reimbursement policies such as pay-for-performance programs, which are aimed at improving quality and value."