Occupational and environmental medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis of a disability prevention model for back pain management: a six year follow up study.
To test the long term cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness of the Sherbrooke model of management of subacute occupational back pain, combining an occupational and a clinical rehabilitation intervention. ⋯ A fully integrated disability prevention model for occupational back pain appeared to be cost beneficial for the workers' compensation board and to save more days on benefits than usual care or partial interventions. A limited number of cases were responsible for most of the long term disability costs, in accordance with occupational back pain epidemiology. However, further studies with larger samples will be necessary to confirm these results.