Usual source of care for adults with and without back pain: medical expenditures panel survey data pooled for years 2000 to 2006.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which individuals with back pain or other health conditions and individuals with no health problems report having a usual source of care (USC) for their health care needs.

METHODS

This study evaluated longitudinal Medical Expenditures Panel Survey data (data pooled for survey calendar years 2000-2006). Comparisons were made between adult Medical Expenditures Panel Survey respondents identified as having a back pain condition (n = 10 194) compared with those without back pain but with other health condition (n = 45 541) and those with no back pain and no other condition (n = 5497).

RESULTS

Compared with individuals with no health problems, those with back pain were almost 8 times more likely (odds ratio, 7.8; P < .001) to report having a USC, and those with other health problems besides back pain were 5 times more likely (odds ratio, 5.4; P < .001). For those with a USC, individuals with back pain and those with other problems but not back pain were both approximately one-and-a-half times more likely than those without any health problems to report a specific provider type as their USC (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Study findings suggest that relatively healthy adults without back pain are less likely to have a USC than those with back pain or other health problems.