Outcomes of pain center treatment in Washington State workers' compensation

Background Injured workers with chronic pain who have failed conventional t herapies often receive treatment at pain centers. This study evaluated the effect of pain center treatment on time loss status of Washington State inj ured workers. The primary hypothesis was that treatment at a pain center wo uld lead to a reduction in the probability of a worker's receiving time los s benefits at a 2-year follow-up. Methods A population-based retrospective cohort study was performed on 2,03 2 Washington State workers' compensation patients who underwent pain center evaluations. Subjects who received pain center treatment were compared to those who were evaluated but not treated with respect to time loss status a t 2-year follow-up. Results Univariate analysis revealed that at 2-year follow-up, 35% of treat ed subjects were receiving time loss payments vs, 40% of evaluated only sub jects (P < 0.05). Subjects who were younger female, and less chronic were m ore likely to undergo pain center treatment and were less likely to be on t ime loss at 2-year follow-up. In multivariate analyses, which statistically controlled baseline differences between the two groups, there was no diffe rence between treated subjects and evaluated only subjects. Conclusions There was no evidence that pain center treatment alters 2-year time loss status of already disabled workers. Am, J. Ind. Med. 39:227-236, 2001. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.