title: Presurgical biopsychosocial variables predict medical, compensation, and aggregate costs of lumbar discectomy in Utah workers' compensation patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elective lumbar discectomy among injured workers is a prevalent spine surgery that often requires a lengthy rehabilitation. It is important to determine presurgical biopsychosocial predictors of compensation and medical costs in such patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if presurgical biopsychosocial variables are predictive of compensation and medical costs in a cohort of Utah patients who have undergone open or microlumbar discectomy that are receiving workers' compensation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study consisting of a review of presurgical medical records and accrued medical and compensation costs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive sample of 266 compensated workers from Utah who had undergone either open discectomy or microlumbar discectomy from 1994 to 2000. All patients were at least 2 years postsurgery at the time of follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total accrued medical, compensation, and aggregate costs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of presurgical biopsychosocial variables and total accrued medical, compensation, and aggregate costs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Presurgical variables were statistically significantly correlated with medical and compensation costs. Multiple linear regression models accounted for 31% of variation in compensation costs, 32% in medical costs, and 43% in total aggregate costs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Presurgical biopsychosocial variables are important predictors of compensated lumbar discectomy costs. Medical cost control programs might benefit from identifying biopsychosocial variables related to increased costs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Utah State University, 2810 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-2810, USA. scott.deberard@usu.edu
authors.forename: M Scott
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: DeBerard
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gundy
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Colledge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012931:Social Environment; D014589:Utah; D014942:Workers' Compensation