Healthcare utilization and indirect burden among families of pediatric patients with chronic pain

Objectives: Chronic pain is associated with substantial direct and indirect costs in adulthood. Chronic pain problems are also common in childhood, but little is known about the costs of pediatric chronic pain and its treatment. The objectives of this study were to examine and describe healthcare utilization and indirect burden among pediatric chronic pain patients and their families. Methods: Participants were parents of 75 pediatric patients with daily or almost daily pain for at least three months, seen at a multidisciplinary pediatric pain outpatient clinic. Information about healthcare use and indirect familial burden was obtained during a semi-structured interview at the patients' first visit to the pain clinic. A financial analyst extracted cost data regarding hospital charges. To assess change over time, the same information was gathered from parents and the hospital financial analyst six months after their initial visit. Results: Parents reported numerous healthcare visits related to their child's pain condition [e.g., visits to specialists, physical therapy visits], high financial costs [e.g., charges for outpatient visits], and substantial indirect burden [e.g., time spent in medical appointments and missed workdays]. Parents reported lower healthcare utilization and decreased burden on families at the six-month follow-up assessment. Conclusions: Our results suggest that pediatric chronic pain is associated with considerable direct financial costs and indirect familial costs. Preliminary evidence suggests that involvement in a multidisciplinary program may be associated with decreased health care use and indirect burden.