Economic evaluation of multidisciplinary pain management in chronic pain patients: A qualitative systematic review

In this qualitative systematic review, we have evaluated studies of the eco nomic effectiveness of multidisciplinary pain treatment in chronic non-mali gnant pain patients. Published reports were identified from a systematic se arch of bibliographic databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE) and reference lists of retrieved reports. Fourteen reports of nine studies of patients' suffering from back pain, fibromyalgia, and mixed chronic pain conditions were consi dered to be appropriate as economic analyses. In the selected studies, we f ound serious methodological problems in study designs and application of ou tcome measures. The quality of the cost measurements was characterized by, an apparent lack of tradition using economic methodology. This review does not give an answer to whether multidisciplinary pain management in chronic pain patients is cost-effective or not. Application of standard methods of costing and outcome measurement are essential before studies of cost-effect iveness in multidiciplinary pain treatment can be used in decision-making a nd planning. (C) U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, 2001.