Table 3.
Chronic pain-related medical utilization during 1-year follow-up
| CP-related utilization category | Mono-LAO | Mono-SAO | Combination | Switch | P-valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitalization, n (%) | 5 (1.2) | 2,005 (12.8) | 923 (20.1) | 56 (11.3) | <0.001 |
| Number of visits, mean (SD)b | 1.0 (0.0) | 1.1 (0.3) | 1.1 (0.4) | 1.1 (0.3) | 0.020 |
| Average LOS, mean (SD)b | 3.0 (0.7) | 2.9 (2.1) | 3.6 (3.0) | 3.6 (3.6) | <0.001 |
| Emergency department visits, n (%) | 15 (3.7) | 1,667 (10.6) | 843 (18.4) | 72 (14.5) | <0.001 |
| Number of visits, mean (SD)b | 1.2 (0.4) | 1.3 (0.8) | 1.7 (1.4) | 1.3 (1.1) | <0.001 |
| Physician office visits, n (%) | 301 (74.0) | 13,885 (88.4) | 4,127 (89.9) | 435 (87.7) | <0.001 |
| Number of visits, mean (SD)b | 4.3 (3.2) | 5.0 (3.9) | 6.4 (4.7) | 5.8 (4.5) | <0.001 |
| Radiology services, n (%) | 87 (21.4) | 8,471 (53.9) | 2,801 (61.0) | 280 (56.5) | <0.001 |
| Number of services, mean (SD)b | 1.7 (1.3) | 2.3 (1.6) | 2.6 (1.9) | 2.5 (2.2) | <0.001 |
| Laboratory and other OP services, n (%) | 163 (40.0) | 9,961 (63.4) | 3,271 (71.2) | 334 (67.3) | <0.001 |
| Number of services, mean (SD)b | 5.4 (6.8) | 7.8 (9.8) | 8.8 (11.2) | 7.3 (8.4) | <0.001 |
Notes:
a
Overall P-value indicates statistical difference across all cohorts;
b
this outcome computed among patients with visits or services.
Abbreviations: CP, chronic pain; LAO, long-acting opioid; LOS, length of stay; OP, outpatient; SAO, short-acting opioid.