title: Health care costs, work productivity and activity impairment in non-malignant chronic pain patients.
abstract: This study explores the costs of non-malignant chronic pain in patients awaiting treatment in a multidisciplinary pain clinic in a hospital setting. Health care costs due to chronic pain are particular high during the first year after pain onset, and remain high compared with health care costs before pain onset. The majority of chronic pain patients incur the costs of alternative treatments. Chronic pain causes production losses at work, as well as impairment of non-work activities.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern Denmark, 5000, Odense C, Denmark. cka@sam.sdu.dk
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kronborg
authors.forename: Gitte
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Handberg
authors.forename: Flemming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Axelsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000191:economics; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D003718:Denmark; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000191:economics*; D018710:Pain Clinics; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics*; D055815:Young Adult