Does a Multidisciplinary Triage Pathway Facilitate Better Outcomes After Spine Surgery?
Study Design.
Single-center prospective non-randomized matched cohort comparison.
Objective.
To compare elective lumbar spine surgery outcomes for cases triaged through a multidisciplinary spine pathway versus conventional referral processes.
Summary of Background Data.
Many health care systems have facilitated low back pain (LBP) guidelines into primary care practice by creating local or regional “pathways” with the goal of enhanced quality of care, improved patient satisfaction and optimal resource utilization, particularly for imaging and surgery. Few comparative outcomes exist for LBP pathways, particularly for surgical outcomes.
Methods.
One-hundred-fifty patients (SSP group n = 75; conventional group n = 75) undergoing elective lumbar surgery for degenerative conditions between 2011 and 2016 were analyzed with 1-year follow-up. Patient self-reported outcomes included the Oswestry disability index (ODI), visual analogue pain scores (VAS) for back and leg, and EuroQol Group 5—Dimension self-report (EQ-5D). We also assessed baseline clinical features, indications for surgery, therapies received prior to surgery, type of surgery, wait times, and overall patient satisfaction.
Results.
The groups had equivalent baseline demographics, body mass index, Saskatchewan Spine Pathway (SSP) classification of pain pattern, pain scores, functional scores, quality of life scores, indication for surgery, and type of surgery (instrumented or n...
Source: Spine - Category: Orthopaedics Tags: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH Source Type: research
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