@article{ref1,
title="Outcomes after a statewide policy to improve evidence-based treatment of back pain among Medicaid enrollees in Oregon",
journal="Journal of general internal medicine",
year="2024",
author="Choo, Esther K. and Charlesworth, Christina J. and Livingston, Catherine J. and Hartung, Daniel M. and El Ibrahimi, Sanae and Kraynov, Liliya and McConnell, K. John",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: A novel Oregon Medicaid policy guiding back pain management combined opioid restrictions with emphasis on non-opioid and non-pharmacologic therapies. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of the policy on prescribing, health outcomes, and health service utilization. <br><br>DESIGN: Using Medicaid enrollment, medical and prescription claims, prescription drug monitoring program, and vital statistics files, we analyzed the policy's association with selected outcomes using interrupted time series models.   SUBJECTS: Adult Medicaid patients with back pain enrolled between 2014 and 2018.   INTERVENTION: The Oregon Medicaid back pain policy.   MAIN MEASURES: Opioid and non-opioid medication prescribing, procedural care, substance use and mental health conditions, and outpatient and inpatient healthcare utilization.   KEY RESULTS: The policy was associated with decreases in the percentage of Medicaid enrollees with back pain receiving any opioids (- 2.68 percentage points [95% CI - 3.14, - 2.23] level, - 1.01 pp [95% CI - 1.1, - 0.92] slope), days of short-acting opioid use (- 0.4 days [95% CI - 0.53, - 0.26] slope), receipt of more than 7 days of short-acting opioids (- 2.36 pp [95% CI - 2.76, - 1.95] level, - 0.91 pp [95% CI - 1, - 0.83] slope), chronic opioid use (- 1.27 pp [95% CI - 1.59, - 0.94] level, - 0.46 [95% CI - 0.53, - 0.39 slope), and spinal surgeries and procedures. Among secondary outcomes, we found no increase in opioid overdose and a small, statistically significant trend decrease in opioid use disorders. There were small increases in non-opioid substance use and mental health diagnoses and visits but no increase in self-harm. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: A state Medicaid policy emphasizing evidence-based back pain management was associated with decreases in opioid prescribing, spinal surgeries, and opioid use disorder trends, but also short-term increases in mental health encounters and an increase in non-opioid substance use disorder trends. Such policies may help reinforce evidence-based care, but must be designed with consideration of potential harms.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0884-8734",
doi="10.1007/s11606-024-08776-w",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11606-024-08776-w"
}