Cost-effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Usual Care Among Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain.
Researchers at the University of Washington, Kaiser Permanente and the Rand Corporation conducted a randomized controlled trial that assigned 342 patients with chronic low back pain to one of three groups. One group participated in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) classes for eight weeks, the second group participated in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) classes for eight weeks, and the third group received just their usual medical care. The investigators found that the total healthcare costs for the one year study period for those who attended CBT classes were $125 more than for those who had usual care, while for those who attended MBSR classes the costs were $724 less. The authors concluded that CBT and MBSR have high probabilities of being cost-effective, and that MBSR may be cost saving, as compared with usual care for adults with chronic low back pain.
Spine 2017;20:1511-20
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