Acupuncture is cost-effective in chronic osteoarthritis pain

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Hi All,

 

See this:

 

Reinhold T, Witt CM, Jena S, Brinkhaus B, Willich SN. Quality of life and

cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in patients with osteoarthritis

pain. Eur J Health Econ. 2007 Jul 19; [Epub ahead of print]. Institute for

Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité University

Medical Center, Berlin, Germany, thomas.reinhold. To assess

quality of life (QoL), costs, and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment

plus routine care versus routine care alone in osteoarthritis patients, a

randomised, controlled trial was conducted in 255 general practices in

Germany. Four hundred and eighty-nine patients with chronic pain due to

osteoarthritis of the knee or hip were included to evaluated QoL and costs at

baseline and after 3 months using health insurance funds data and

standardized questionnaires. Patients receiving acupuncture had an

improved QoL associated with significantly higher costs over the 3 months

treatment period compared to routine care alone (mean cost-difference:

<euro>469.50 [95%CI <euro>135.80-<euro>803.19]). This increase in costs

was primarily due to the costs of acupuncture. The overall ICER was

<euro>17,845 per QALY gained. The degree of cost-effectiveness was

influenced by gender, with female patients achieving a better cost-

effectiveness ratio than men. In conclusion, acupuncture was a cost-

effective treatment strategy in patients with chronic osteoarthritis pain.

PMID: 17638034 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Best regards,