JAMA Study: Spinal Medical Costs Increased by 65% from 1997 to 2005

Medical costs for spine problems increased 65% from 1997 to 2005, but patients did not improve accordingly, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.The study, "Expenditures and Health Status Among Adults With Back and Neck Problems," compared data from more than 22,000 survey respondents in a 1997 sample group, and compared it against a 2005 sample group, with the intent of estimating inpatient, outpatient, emergency and pharmaceutical expenditures pertaining to spine problems. Each sample group contained more than 3,100 respondents who reported spine ...