The Canadian STOP-PAIN project - Part 2: What is the cost of pain for patients on waitlists of multidisciplinary pain treatment facilities?
OBJECTIVE
The Canadian STOP-PAIN Project was designed to document the human and economic burden of chronic pain in individuals on waitlists of Multidisciplinary Pain Treatment Facilities (MPTF). This paper describes the societal costs of their pain.


METHODS
A subgroup of 370 patients was selected randomly from The Canadian STOP-PAIN Project. Participants completed a self-administered costing tool (the Ambulatory and Home Care Record) on a daily basis for three months. They provided information about publicly financed resources, such as health care professional consultations and diagnostic tests as well as privately financed costs, including out-of-pocket expenditures and time devoted to seeking, receiving, and providing care. To determine the cost of care, resources were valued using various costing methods, and multivariate linear regression was used to predict total cost.


RESULTS
Overall, the median monthly cost of care was $1,462 (CDN) per study participant. Ninety-five percent of the total expenditures were privately financed. The final regression model consisted of the following determinants: educational level, employment status, province, pain duration, depression, and health-related quality of life. This model accounted for 35% of the variance in total expenditure (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The economic burden of chronic pain is substantial in patients on waitlists of MPTFs. Consequently, it is essential to consider this burden when making decisions regarding resource allocation and waitlist assignment for a MPTF. Resource allocation decision-making should include the economic implications of having patients wait for an assessment and for care.
Guerriere
Denise N
DN
Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, ON, Canada. denise.guerriere@utoronto.ca
Choinière
Manon
M
Dion
Dominique
D
Peng
Philip
P
Stafford-Coyte
Emma
E
Zagorski
Brandon
B
Banner
Robert
R
Barton
Pamela M
PM
Boulanger
Aline
A
Clark
Alexander J
AJ
Gordon
Allan S
AS
Guertin
Marie-Claude
MC
Intrater
Howard M
HM
Lefort
Sandra M
SM
Lynch
Mary E
ME
Moulin
Dwight E
DE
Ong-Lam
May
M
Racine
Mélanie
M
Rashiq
Saifee
S
Shir
Yoram
Y
Taenzer
Paul
P
Ware
Mark
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002170:Canada; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010146:Pain / Q000191:economics*; D018710:Pain Clinics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D059408:Pain Management; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D014850:Waiting Lists; D055815:Young Adult