Scott Guillmette from Ingenix Consulting analyzed costs for IDD, an implantable neuromodulatory device that delivers medicine directly to the spinal cord. In the study, the device was used to treat pain patients suffering from Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. In evaluating 1,408 IDD cases from Jan. 2006-Jan. 2009, initial costs from the month of implantation through the first year were $14,000 greater than for conventional therapy.
However, a breakeven point was found in the second year following the implant, between months 19 and 20. Mr. Guillmette found that lifetime costs for IDD were $12,600 less annually than for patients receiving conventional therapy, according to the release. IDD patients were able to return to a normal lifestyle quicker, which correlated with lower future medical costs such as physician office visits and additional interventions.
Read the AAPM’s release on intrathecal drug delivery use in pain patients (pdf).
