Factors Associated with Extended Use of Physical Medicine Services for Workers with Low Back Pain

By Dongchun Wang, Kathryn Mueller, Randall Lea, M.D.

March 1, 2023 Related Topics: Physical Medicine

Physical medicine (PM) services are commonly used in treating workers with low back pain (LBP) and other musculoskeletal injuries.

This report documents the prevalence of extended use of PM services (referred to as extended PM use) among 28 study states for nonsurgical LBP claims.

The report also identifies several key factors associated with a higher likelihood of extended PM use. For example, the study highlights less coordinated PM care among providers as one of the key factors associated with a higher likelihood of having extended PM use.

The findings will be helpful for those who are interested in finding ways to improve coordination of care for the purpose of achieving more consistent care to workers for early recovery.

Factors Associated with Extended Use of Physical Medicine Services for Workers with Low Back Pain. Dongchun Wang, Kathryn L. Mueller, and Randall D. Lea. March 2023. WC-23-18.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

pdf, 399KB

Reports are free for members.

If you are a member, please login here

*Temporary membership will allow you to download the study represented here

Research Questions:

How prevalent is the extended use of PM services and how does it vary across states?
How is extended PM use associated with overall costs and duration of temporary disability?
What are the factors that help predict the likelihood of extended PM use, focusing on the factors that can be used for better management of claims and care?

Topics

State Comparison Studies