Impact of an Advanced Imaging Utilization Review Program on Downstream Health Care Utilization and Costs for Low Back Pain

Abstract

Background: Early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for acute low back pain (LBP) has been associated with increased costs, greater health care utilization, and longer disability duration in workers' compensation claimants.

Objectives: To assess the impact of a state policy implemented in June 2010 that required prospective utilization review (UR) for early MRI among workers' compensation claimants with LBP.

Research design: Interrupted time series.

Subjects: In total, 76,119 Washington State workers' compensation claimants with LBP between 2006 and 2014.

Measures: Proportion of workers receiving imaging per month (MRI, computed tomography, radiographs) and lumbosacral injections and surgery; mean total health care costs per worker; mean duration of disability per worker. Measures were aggregated monthly and attributed to injury month.

Results: After accounting for secular trends, decreases in early MRI [level change: -5.27 (95% confidence interval, -4.22 to -6.31); trend change: -0.06 (-0.01 to -0.12)], any MRI [-4.34 (-3.01 to -5.67); -0.10 (-0.04 to -0.17)], and injection [trend change: -0.12 (-0.06 to -0.18)] utilization were associated with the policy. Radiograph utilization increased in parallel [level change: 2.46 (1.24-3.67)]. In addition, the policy resulted in significant decreasing changes in mean costs per claim, mean disability duration, and proportion of workers who received disability benefits. The policy had no effect on computed tomography or surgery utilization.

Conclusions: The UR policy had discernable effects on health care utilization, costs, and disability. Integrating evidence-based guidelines with UR can improve quality of care and patient outcomes, while reducing use of low-value health services.

FIGURE 1.

Utilization of early MRI (A), any MRI (B), lumbosacral surgery (C), and lumbar injections (D) among Washington State workers’ compensation claimants with acute low back sprains and strains from June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2014. MRI indicates magnetic resonance imaging.

FIGURE 2.

Total costs per workers’ compensation claim (A), mean disability duration (B), and percent of workers receiving disability (C) (wage replacement) benefits among Washington State workers’ compensation claimants with acute low back sprains and strains from June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2014.