[Economic evaluation of interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation. One IKR for rehabilitation gives eight IKR back to society].

INTRODUCTION: There is limited research on the long-term benefits of an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation, even though short-term benefits have been well documented. The present study evaluated the effects of an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program with a three-year follow-up. A special emphasis was placed on economic evaluation of the treatment from a societal perspective. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted at the chronic pain unit of the Reykjalundur rehabilitation center. Every fifth patient referred to the Reykjalundur Rehabiliation Center pain clinic was randomized to participate in this study. Data was collected over the course of 4,5 years with a three years follow-up. Finally, economic evaluation was conducted at the end of the research. RESULTS: After treatment patients experienced less pain, fear and avoidance, anxiety and depression symptoms and improved social functioning. Work ability increased from 36% to 47% at the end of rehabilitation and continued to rise to 57% at three year follow-up. Economic evaluation from a societal perspective showed that cost associated with the rehabilitation had leveled out in three years and continued throughout life. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that interdisciplinary rehabilitation for chronic pain has a positive impact on function and the experience of pain as well as positive psychosocial effect. An economic evaluation of the treatment shows that the rehabilitation is very cost effective and that each Icelandic krona (IKR) spent is returned eightfold back to society.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety in an Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Program for Chronic Pain: a Randomized Controlled Trial with a 3-Year Follow-up.

PURPOSE: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is known to be effective for treating depression and anxiety in patients with chronic pain, but there is limited research studying the long-term benefits of CBT in this population. The present study evaluated the effects of CBT provided in the context of an interdisciplinary pain management program with a 3-year follow-up. METHODS: One hundred fifteen patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain participated in an interdisciplinary pain management program. Eighty of these patients meeting criteria for CBT treatment were randomized to receive or not receive CBT for depression and anxiety in addition to rehabilitation pain management. The remaining 35 patients constituted a second comparison group. Follow-up data were collected 1 and 3 years post-treatment with 19% of the patients dropping out after 1 year and 34% after 3 years. Attrition analysis did not indicate that there was significant attrition bias in the data. RESULTS: All three groups evidenced improved depression following treatment (p < 0.001). The pre- to post-treatment effect sizes (Cohen's d) for depression in the CBT treatment group was large (ES = 1.36). The CBT treatment group maintained improvements on all measures at a 3-year follow-up, while the comparison groups did not. This was especially evident with respect to depression (pre-treatment to 3 years follow-up ES = 1.35 and between-group ES = 0.57). Before treatment, 36% of all the patients reported that they were able to work. At 3 years post-treatment, 59%, 58%, and 44% of the patients were working who were in the CBT treatment group, the Comparison group, and the Non-CBT group, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that providing CBT for depression and anxiety as part of a rehabilitation pain management program may enhance the long-term benefits of treatment. This finding, if replicated in additional studies, has important clinical and economic implications.

Outcome of an interdisciplinary pain management program in a rehabilitation clinic.

The Chronic Pain Section at Reykjalundur has 33 beds for patients with various chronic pain problems. About 200 patients are treated annually. For 3 years, 158 patients were enrolled in a random study focusing on increasing the patients' functioning and eliminating analgesic drugs through an interdisciplinary rehabilitation program. Patients answered a questionnaire at admission, before discharge from the clinic and about one year after discharge. The follow-up was done with a mailed questionnaire. The focus was on the patients' functioning rather than absence of pain. The program's duration was 7 weeks. The first 2 weeks were utilized for evaluation, information and education (pain school). Pain relieving drugs were gradually withdrawn but anti-inflammatory drugs were used when indicated. Cognitive behavioral therapy was applied in an increasing number of cases over the 3 year period by specially trained nurses and a psychiatrist. Pain, anxiety and depression were self-evaluated on a numeric rating scale (NRS). About 50% of the patients had a history of pain for more than 5 years. Low back pain was the most common diagnosis (48.1%) and 28.5% had post-traumatic pain. A significant reduction in pain, anxiety and depression was found both at discharge (p < 0.0001) and at follow-up (p < 0.001). Before entering the program, only 18.4% of the patients were able to work whereas 48.1% returned to work after discharge and 59.2% were working at follow-up.