Abstract
Background
Routine imaging (radiography, CT, MRI) provides no health benefits for low back pain (LBP) patients and is not recommended in clinical practice guidelines. Whether imaging leads to increased costs, healthcare utilization or absence from work is unclear.
Purpose
To systematically review if imaging in patients with LBP increases costs, leads to higher health care utilization or increases absence from work.
METHODS
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies (OSs), comparing imaging versus no imaging on targeted outcomes were extracted from medical databases until October 2017.
Data extraction and risk of bias assessment was performed independently by two reviewers. The quality of the body of evidence was determined using GRADE methodology.
Results
Moderate quality evidence (1 RCT; n=421) supports that direct costs increase for patients undergoing radiography. Low quality evidence (3 OSs; n=9535) supports that early MRI leads to a large increase in costs.
Moderate quality evidence (2 RCTs, 6 OSs; n=19392) supports that performing MRI, radiography or CT is associated with increased healthcare utilization.
Two RCTs (n=667) showed no significant differences between radiography or MRI groups compared with no imaging groups on absence from work. However, the results of two observational studies (n=7765) did show significantly greater absence from work in the imaging groups compared to the no imaging-groups.
Conclusions
Imaging in LBP is associated with higher medical costs and increased healthcare utilisation. There are indications that it also leads to higher absence from work.
No conflicts of interest
No funding obtained
