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Multidisciplinary Pain Management Programs
Multidisciplinary or “interdisciplinary” pain centers provide the most comprehensive care and often see patients with chronic pain only after they have endured several years of pain, failed surgery and left work—in many cases on compensation. Patients whose low-back pain persists for more than eight weeks are at high risk of developing a chronic condition. Based on Marketdata Enterprises' proprietary October 2003 survey of pain program directors, 77% of pain programs use a multidisciplinary approach. In a typical multidisciplinary pain clinic, a patient will be treated by the following specialists.....
The range of other personnel used is quite broad, including: exercise physiologists, dentists, biofeedback specialists, vocational counselors, chiropractors, physician assistants, recreation therapists, physiatrists, pharmacists, family therapists, speech therapists, and case managers. Typical Goals of A Pain Treatment Program…
How Programs Work - Typical Phases & Patient Activities… At one of the top programs in the nation, the Mensana Clinic, the following is an outline of their pain management program.... One physician, the Clinical Director, manages all patients from evaluation to discharge. He meets with patients each day to review their progress. Programs vary from 2-6 weeks, with most patients spending 4 weeks in the program. After discharge, the clinic keeps in touch for 3 years via a long-term follow-up program. To be admitted, a patient's doctor sends a letter of referral to Mensana. Medical records are reviewed to see if a pre-admission evaluation is needed. This evaluation includes a 1.5 hour appointment with the Clinical Director and another hour of written tests the patient takes. If the patient and Clinical Director both agree on admission, the Admission Coordinator arranges for authorization to diagnose and treat the patient. Mensana does NOT treat all patients, excluding those who are... at risk for suicide, terminal cancer patients, patients needing hospice care, patients with infectious diseases, patients unwilling to participate in the program, or those needing help in dressing, eating, or other daily activities. As a private facility, not part of a hospital, Mensana does not accept Medicare or Medicaid patients. At the clinic, the following services are offered....
f rehabilitation planning consultations Costs The 2003 Marketdata survey found an average value or cost per visit of $571.94 for multidisciplinary programs and an average of $378.77 for anesthesiologists. The total combined group average cost per visit is $502.40. Furthermore, our survey determined that the “typical” pain patient makes 9.7 visits to a pain program.Consequently, the average cost of treatment in 2003 was $4,873. The total group this year reported that the average patient made 9.7 visits to their program, ranging from a low of 3 visits to a high of 35.
Source: Marketdata Enterprises, Inc., Chronic Pain Management Programs: A Market Analysis
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