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Marina Mortimer; Mortimer Communications
508-746-5441
marinamortimer@aol.com
Pembroke, MA, June 28, 2008 – Fortune 500s spend over $500 million a year on avoidable back surgeries for their workers and lose as
much as $1.5 billion in indirect costs associated with these procedures in the form of missed work and lost productivity, according to a
two-year study by Consumer's Medical Resource (CMR).
CMR's study, "Back Surgery: A Costly Fortune 500 Burden," found that one out of three workers recommended for back surgery by their doctor
said they avoided an unnecessary procedure after being given independent, high-quality medical research on their diagnosed condition and treatment
options. In addition, those patients who refused surgery and opted for alternative and less invasive procedures to treat their back pain
reported healthier and more personally satisfying outcomes.
The study was conducted by CMR, the pioneering company and creator of Medical Decision Support (MDS), based on survey
responses and interviews with 300 Fortune 500 employees diagnosed with one of six major medical conditions, such as low back pain, in
which treatment options vary significantly.
"Back Surgery: A Costly Fortune 500 Burden" examined how the quality of patient decision-making changed when workers were presented
with independent, comprehensive, and personalized medical research on their diagnosed condition. This included being fully informed of
all treatment options, outcomes, benefits, and risks before making a treatment decision with a doctor. CMR's findings revealed total
direct cost savings for avoided surgery for a sample group of 100 back patients to be $1 million.
"Our research concludes Fortune 500 companies are wasting $500 million every year from more than 13,000 unnecessary back surgeries
performed on their employees in the U.S. each year," said David Hines, president and founder of CMR. "Productivity losses associated
with back surgery indicate the figure is exponentially higher. We estimate these companies are losing $1.5 billion in worker
productivity, as well."
CMR also studied workers recommended for surgery with physician-confirmed diagnoses of breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometriosis,
uterine fibroids, and knee or hip arthritis to discover how their treatment decisions were affected when they were better educated on
their medical conditions and treatment options.
According to experts, back pain ranks second only to headaches as the most frequent pain people experience. It is the most common
cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. According to various sources, as many as 100 million working
days are lost each year due to back pain. Although back procedures are high volume, high-cost surgeries, some studies comparing
surgical and non-surgical treatment outcomes have shown little difference between the two approaches. The average cost of back surgery
in the U.S. is $36,000 to $38,200.
"Unnecessary surgeries and rising health care costs will continue until patients are better informed about their medical options,"
added Hines. "By supporting employees to become truly informed health care consumers, Fortune 500s can contribute the greatest benefit
to their workers and to their bottom line."
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