Select Characteristics of Patients with De Novo Low Back Pain in 2014 Included in Sample
| Total (n = 57,293) | Imaging Within 6 Weeks of LBP Onset (n = 26,606) | No Imaging Within 6 Weeks of LBP Onset (n = 30,687) | P-Value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years (Mean, SE) | 71.20 (9.55) | 71.68 (9.38) | 70.70 (9.70) | <.001 |
| Age <65, n (%) | 10,268 (17.92%) | 4,302 (16.16%) | 5,966 (19.44%) | <.001 |
| Age 65 to 85, n (%) | 43,484 (75.90%) | 20,512 (77.09%) | 22,972 (74.85%) | |
| Age >85, n (%) | 3,541 (6.18%) | 1,792 (6.73%) | 1,749 (5.69%) | |
| Male, n (%) | 21,656 (37.80%) | 9,751 (35.97%) | 12,085 (39.38%) | <.001 |
| Urban, n (%) | 49,625 (86.62%) | 23,148 (87.00%) | 26,477 (86.28%) | .011 |
| Chiropractic at 6 weeks, n (%) | 5,157 (9.00%) | 1,018 (3.83%) | 4,139 (13.49%) | <.001 |
| Single PT at 6 weeks, n (%) | 1,453 (2.54%) | 964 (3.62%) | 489 (1.59%) | <.001 |
| Multiple PT at 6 weeks, n (%) | 4,979 (8.69%) | 2,803 (10.53%) | 2,176 (7.09%) | <.001 |
| OMM at 6 weeks, n (%) | 206 (0.36%) | 64 (0.24%) | 142 (0.46%) | <.001 |
| Opioid Use in prior 90 days, n (%) | 14,791 (25.82%) | 6,891 (25.9%) | 7,900 (25.74%) | .67 |
| Nonnarcotic Rx at 6 weeks, n (%) | 31,108 (54.30%) | 16,187 (60.83%) | 14,921 (48.62%) | <.001 |
| Plan type | ||||
| HMO, n (%) | 27,632 (48.23%) | 12,910 (48.52%) | 14,722 (47.97%) | .19 |
| LPPO, n (%) | 15,028 (26.23%) | 6,889 (25.89%) | 81,39 (26.52%) | |
| PFFS, n (%) | 5,111 (8.92%) | 2,347 (8.82%) | 2764 (9%) | |
| POS, n (%) | 418 (0.73%) | 182 (0.68%) | 236 (0.76%) | |
| RPPO, n (%) | 9,104 (15.89%) | 4,278 (16.07%) | 4,826 (15.72%) | |
| CMS region | ||||
| AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, n (%) | 27,232 (47.53%) | 12,545 (47.15%) | 14,687 (47.86%) | <.001 |
| AR, LA, NM, OK, TX, n (%) | 9,485 (16.56%) | 4,500 (16.91%) | 4,985 (16.24%) | |
| IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI, n (%) | 9,146 (15.96%) | 4,321 (16.24%) | 4,825 (15.72%) | |
| DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV, n (%) | 4,422 (7.72%) | 2,136 (8.02%) | 2,286 (7.44%) | |
| Other regions, n (%) | 7,008 (12.23%) | 3,104 (11.66%) | 3,904 (12.72%) | |
| Site of initial presentation | ||||
| Physician office, n (%) | 33,898 (59.17%) | 13,690 (51.45%) | 20,208 (65.85%) | <.001 |
| Outpatient, n (%) | 7,539 (13.16%) | 5,795 (21.78%) | 1,744 (5.68%) | |
| Hospital ED, n (%) | 5,525 (9.64%) | 4,520 (16.98%) | 1,005 (3.27%) | |
| Chiropractic physician, n (%) | 4,350 (7.59%) | 521 (1.95%) | 3,829 (12.47%) | |
| Other sites, n (%) | 5,981 (10.44%) | 2,080 (7.81%) | 3,901 (12.71%) | |
| Specialty of provider at initial presentation | ||||
| Primary care, n (%) | 26,877 (46.91%) | 7,646 (28.73%) | 19,231 (62.66%) | <.001 |
| Chiropractor, n (%) | 4,384 (7.65%) | 527 (1.98%) | 3,857 (12.56%) | |
| Hospital, n (%) | 2,942 (5.14%) | 1,696 (6.37%) | 1,246 (4.06%) | |
| Orthopaedic surgery, n (%) | 2,763 (4.82%) | 2,043 (7.67%) | 720 (2.34%) | |
| Other or unknown specialty, n (%) | 20,327 (35.48%) | 14,694 (55.22%) | 5,633 (18.35%) |
CMS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; ED, Emergency Department; HMO, Health Maintenance Organization; LBP, Low Back Pain; LPPO, Local Preferred Provider Organization; OMM, Osteopathic Manual Manipulation; PFFS, Private Fee-For-Service; POS, Point of Service; PT, physical therapy; RPPO, Regional Preferred Provider Organization; SE, standard error.
↵* Significance of difference between imaging and no-imaging groups.