title: Quality of life and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in patients with osteoarthritis pain.
abstract: To assess quality of life (QoL), costs, and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment plus routine care versus routine care alone in osteoarthritis patients, a randomised, controlled trial was conducted in 255 general practices in Germany. Four hundred and eighty-nine patients with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee or hip were included to evaluated QoL and costs at baseline and after 3 months using health insurance funds data and standardized questionnaires. Patients receiving acupuncture had an improved QoL associated with significantly higher costs over the 3 months treatment period compared to routine care alone (mean cost-difference: 469.50 euros [95%CI 135.80-803.19 euros]). This increase in costs was primarily due to the costs of acupuncture. The overall ICER was 17,845 euros per QALY gained. The degree of cost-effectiveness was influenced by gender, with female patients achieving a better cost-effectiveness ratio than men. In conclusion, acupuncture was a cost-effective treatment strategy in patients with chronic osteoarthritis pain.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany. thomas.reinhold@charite.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reinhold
authors.forename: Claudia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jena
authors.forename: Benno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brinkhaus
authors.forename: Stefan N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Willich
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D059408:Pain Management; D011788:Quality of Life