Can a Back Pain E-mail Discussion Group Improve Health Status and Lower Health Care Costs?

摘要: Background Given the high health care utilization, limited evidence for effectiveness of back pain interventions, and proliferation e-mail discussion groups, this study seeks to determine if Internet can be used improve status utilization people with chronic pain. Methods Randomized controlled trial. Participants included 580 from 49 states having at least 1 outpatient visit in past year, no "red-flag" symptoms, access e-mail. Major exclusion criteria continuous more than 90 days causing major activity intolerance and/or receiving disability payments. Intervention Closed, moderated, group. also received a book videotape about Controls subscription non–health-related magazine their choice. Main Outcome Measures Pain, disability, role function, distress, utilization. Results At 1-year treatment, subjects compared controls demonstrated improvements ( P = .045), .02), function .007), distress .001). Physician visits 6 months declined by 1.5 treatment group 0.65 control .07). Mean hospital nearly 0.20 treated vs increased 0.04 .24). Conclusions An positively affect possibly It may have place recurrent