A new study published in Spine examines the cost per quality-adjusted life year for lumbar epidural steroid injections.
Study authors gathered data on patients who underwent the injections from June 2012 to July 2013 with EuroQOL-5D scores taken before and after the intervention. There were 323 patients who participated in the study.
Study authors found:
1. The average cost per injection was $608 for patients who received three injections over more than one year.
2. Average quality-adjusted life year gained was 0.005, with 45 percent reporting 0.117 QALY gained at a cost of $62,175 per QALY gained.
3. Around 127 patients, or 40 percent, reported a loss in QALY while another 15 percent reported no change.
4. There were 145 patients who improved and 178 patients who did improve; 14 of the patients who did improve and 29 of those who did not reported medical comorbidities before surgery.
5. The study showed injections may not be cost-effective for lumbar degenerative disorders, although study authors recommended further studies may identify specific patient populations who could benefit from the injections.