Systematic care management: Clinical and economic analysis of a national sample of patients with spinal cord injury

Abstract

Analysis of 130 spinal cord-injured patients, injured from 1997-2003, is made in terms of a new management methodology called systematic care management (SCM). Features include expert physician consultants; complexity adjustment; and integrated data on clinical status and processes, outcomes, resource utilization, and cost. Cost and utilization of various typologies of spinal cord injury are reported. Costs for comprehensive care ranged between $66,722 and $1,117,577, with a mean of $365,676. The mean duration of treatment to achieve outcome plan (i.e., achievement of global medical and rehabilitation outcomes) was 487 days. Major factors that extend treatment and costs include chlonic pain and behavioral and psychological issues.