Are complementary therapies and integrative care cost-effective? A systematic review of economic evaluations

BMJ Open

Volumn 2, Issue 5, 2012, Pages

  Herman, Patricia M ^a   Poindexter, Beth L ^a   Witt, Claudia M ^b,c   Eisenberg, David M ^d,e,f  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA   (United States)

^b CHARITÉ UNIVERSITÄTSMEDIZIN BERLIN   (Germany)

^c UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE   (United States)

^d HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL   (United States)

^e HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH   (United States)

^f SAMUELI INSTITUTE   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARGININE; NATURAL PRODUCT; OMEGA 3 FATTY ACID; PHYTOMENADIONE;

ACUPUNCTURE; ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE; ARTICLE; COCHRANE LIBRARY; COST CONTROL; COST EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS; COST UTILITY ANALYSIS; ECONOMIC EVALUATION; EMBASE; HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL; HEALTH CARE POLICY; HOMEOPATHY; HUMAN; INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE; MANIPULATIVE MEDICINE; MEDLINE; NONHUMAN; PSYCINFO; PUBLISHING;

EID: 84866378191     PISSN: None     EISSN: 20446055     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001046     Document Type: Article

References (106)

1. Eisenberg DM, Kessler RC, Foster C, et al. Unconventional medicine in the United States: prevalence, costs, and patterns of use. N Engl J Med 1993;328:246-52. (Pubitemid 23035311)
2. Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL, et al. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990-1997. JAMA 1998;280:1569-75.
3. Barnes PM, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002. Advance data from Vital and Health Statistics. Hyattsville, MA: National Center for Health Statistics, 2004.
4. Nahin RL, Barnes PM, Stussman BJ, et al. Costs of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and frequency of visits to CAM practitioners: United States, 2007. National Health Statistics Reports. Hyattsville, MA: National Center for Health Statistics, 2009.
5. MacLennan AH, Wilson DH, Taylor AW. The escalating cost and prevalence of alternative medicine. Prev Med 2002;35:166-73.
6. Thomas KJ, Nicholl JP, Coleman P. Use and expenditure on complementary medicine in England: a population based survey. Complement Ther Med 2001;9:2-11. (Pubitemid 32203876)
7. Wolf U, Maxion-Bergemann S, Bornhoft G, et al. Use of complementary medicine in Switzerland. Forsch Komplementmed 2006;13:4-6.
8. Hartel U, Volger E. Use and acceptance of classical natural and alternative medicine in Germany - findings of a representative population-based survey. Forsch Komplementmed 2004;11:327-34. (Pubitemid 40754317)
9. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. What is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)? National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Bethesda, Maryland: National Institutes of Health, 2011.
10. Claxton K, Posnett J. An economic approach to clinical trial design and research priority-setting. Med Econ 1996;5:513-24.
11. Maxion-Bergemann S, Wolf M, Bornhoft G, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine costs - a systematic literature review. Forsch Komplementmed 2006;13(Suppl 2):42-5.
12. van der Roer N, Goossens MEJB, Evers SMAA, et al. What is the most cost-effective treatment for patients with low back pain? A systematic review. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2005;19:671-84. (Pubitemid 40790494)
13. Branson RA. Cost comparison of chiropractic and medical treatment of common musculoskeletal disorders: a review of the literature after 1980. Top Clin Chiropractic 1999;6:57-68.
14. Solomon DH, Bates DW, Panush RS, et al. Costs, outcomes, and patient satisfaction by provider type for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions: a critical review of the literature and proposed methodological standards. Ann Intern Med 1997;127:52-60. (Pubitemid 27283904)
15. Kennedy DA, Hart J, Seely D. Cost-effectiveness of natural health products: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Evid-Based Complement Altern Med 2009;6:297-304.
16. Gamber R, Holland S, Russo DP, et al. Cost-effective osteopathic manipulative medicine: a literature review of cost-effectiveness analyses for osteopathic manipulative treatment. J Am Osteopathic Assoc 2005;105:357-67. (Pubitemid 41324845)
17. Bornhoft G, Wolf U, Von Ammon K, et al. Effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of homeopathy in general practice - summarized health technology assessment. Forsch Komplementmed 2006;13:19-29.
18. Schneider CJ. Cost effectiveness of biofeedback and behavioral medicine treatments: a review of the literature. Biofeedback Self Regul 1987;12:71-92. (Pubitemid 18009829)
19. White AR, Ernst E. Economic analysis of complementary medicine: a systematic review. Complement Ther Med 2000;8:111-18. (Pubitemid 30465850)
20. Herman PM, Craig BM, Caspi O. Is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) cost-effective? A systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med 2005;5:11.
21. Hulme C, Long AF. Square pegs and round holes? A review of economic evaluation in complementary and alternative medicine. J Altern Complement Med 2005;11:179-88. (Pubitemid 40328133)
22. Canter PH, Coon JT, Ernst E. Cost-effectiveness of complementary therapies in the United Kingdom - a systematic review. Evid-Based Complement Altern Med 2006;3:425-32. (Pubitemid 44899979)
23. Doran CM, Chang DH-T, Kiat H, et al. Review of economic methods used in complementary medicine. J Altern Complement Med 2010;16:591-5.
24. Pilkington K. Searching for CAM evidence: an evaluation of therapy-specific search strategies. J Altern Complement Med 2007;13:451-9. (Pubitemid 46802352)
25. Shekelle PG, Morton SC, Suttorp MJ, et al. Challenges in systematic reviews of complementary and alternative medicine topics. Ann Intern Med 2005;142:1042-7. (Pubitemid 40847706)
26. Wootton JC. Classifying and defining complementary and alternative medicine. J Altern Complement Med 2005;11:777-8. (Pubitemid 41739345)
27. Pilkington K, Richardson J. Exploring the evidence: the challenges of searching for research on acupuncture. J Altern Complement Med 2004;10:587-90. (Pubitemid 38879948)
28. Boddy K, Younger P. What a difference an interface makes: just how reliable are your search results? Focus Altern Complement Ther 2009;14:5-7.
29. Murphy LS, Reinsch S, Najm WI, et al. Spinal palpation: the challenges of information retrieval using available databases. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2003;26:374-82. (Pubitemid 36993441)
30. Furnham A. How the public classify complementary medicine: a factor analytic study. Complement Ther Med 2000;8:82-7. (Pubitemid 30465846)
31. Wieland LS, Manheimer E, Berman BM. Development and classification of an operational definition of complementary and alternative medicine for the Cochrane Collaboration. Altern Ther Health Med 2011;17:50-9.
32. Focan C. Pharmaco-economic comparative evaluation of combination chronotherapy vs. standard chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. Chronobiol Int 2002;19:289-97. (Pubitemid 34310833)
33. Kovacs FM, Llobera J, Abraira V, et al. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analysis of neuroreflexotherapy for subacute and chronic low back pain in routine general practice: a cluster randomized, controlled trial. Spine 2002;27:1149-59. (Pubitemid 34596331)
34. Senkal M, Zumtobel V, Bauer KH, et al. Outcome and cost-effectiveness of perioperative enteral immunonutrition in patients undergoing elective upper gastrointestinal tract surgery: a prospective randomized study. Arch Surg 1999;134:1309-16.
35. Wolsko PM, Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, et al. Insurance coverage, medical conditions, and visits to alternative medicine providers. Arch Intern Med 2002;162:281-7. (Pubitemid 34127405)
36. Gunter MJ. The role of the ECHO model in outcomes research and clinical practice improvement. Am J Manag Care 1999;5:S217-24. (Pubitemid 29202917)
37. Drummond MF, Sculpher MJ, Torrance GW, et al. Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes. 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
38. Berger ML, Bingefors K, Hedblom E, et al. Health care cost, quality, and outcomes: ISPOR book of terms. Lawrenceville, NJ: International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, 2003.
39. Drummond M, Barbieri M, Cook J, et al. Transferability of economic evaluations across jurisdictions: ISPOR good research practices task force report. Value Health 2009;12:409-18.
40. Drummond M, Manca A, Sculpher M. Increasing the generalizability of economic evaluations: recommendations for the design, analysis, and reporting of studies. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 2005;21:165-71. (Pubitemid 40656544)
41. Drummond MF, Jefferson TO, BMJ Economic Evaluation Working Party. Guidelines for authors and peer reviewers of economic submissions to the BMJ. BMJ 1996;313:275-83. (Pubitemid 26254740)
42. Gold MR, Siegel JE, Russell LB, et al. Cost-effectiveness in health and medicine. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
43. Drummond MF, O'Brien B, Stoddart GL, et al. Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes. 2nd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
44. Marshall DA, Hux M. Design and analysis issues for economic analysis alongside clinical trials. Med Care 2009;47:814-20.
45. Briggs A, Sculpher M, Buxton M. Uncertainty in the economic evaluation of health care technologies: the role of sensitivity analysis. Health Econ 1994;3:95-104.
46. Sculpher MJ, Pang FS, Manca A, et al. Generalisability in economic evaluation studies in healthcare: a review and case studies. Health Technol Assess 2004;8:1-213.
47. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Foreign Exchange Rates - G.5A, 1997-2012.
48. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Archived consumer price index detailed report information, 2000-2011.
49. Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health. Cost-effectiveness analysis registry: Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies. Tufts Medical Center is in Boston, MA, 2011.
50. Jadad AR, Moore RA, Carroll D, et al. Assessing the quality of reports of randomized clinical trials: is blinding necessary? Control Clin Trials 1996;17:1-12. (Pubitemid 26120810)
51. White AR, Ernst E. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for neck pain. Rheumatology 1999;38:143-7. (Pubitemid 29507235)
52. Robinson N, Donaldson J, Watt H. Auditing outcomes and costs of integrated complementary medicine provision-the importance of length of follow up. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2006;12:249-57. (Pubitemid 44522823)
53. Almog G, Lamond PJ, Gosselin G. Effects of chiropractic care on spinal symptomatology among professional drivers. Clin Chiropractic 2004;7:114-19. (Pubitemid 39094538)
54. Brown APL, Kennedy ADM, Torgerson DJ, et al. The OMENS trial: opportunistic evaluation of musculo-skeletal physician care among orthopaedic outpatients unlikely to require surgery. Health Bull 2001;59:199-210.
55. Cherkin DC, Eisenberg DM, Sherman KJ, et al. Randomized trial comparing traditional Chinese medical acupuncture, therapeutic massage, and self-care education for chronic low back pain. Arch Intern Med 2001;161:1081-8. (Pubitemid 32685534)
56. Cook C, Cook A, Worrell T. Manual therapy provided by physical therapists in a hospital-based setting: a retrospective analysis. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2008;35:338-43. (Pubitemid 351818226)
57. Eisenberg DM, Post DE, Davis RB, et al. Addition of choice of complementary therapies to usual care for acute low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. Spine 2007;32:151-8. (Pubitemid 46105801)
58. Fritz JM, Brennan GP, Leaman H. Does the evidence for spinal manipulation translate into better outcomes in routine clinical care for patients with occupational low back pain? A case-control study. Spine J 2006;6:289-95.
59. Grieves B, Menke JM, Pursel KJ. Cost minimization analysis of low back pain claims data for chiropractic vs medicine in a managed care organization. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2009;32:734-9.
60. Haas M, Sharma R, Stano M. Cost-effectiveness of medical and chiropractic care for acute and chronic low back pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2005;28:555-63. (Pubitemid 41455021)
61. Hemmila HM. Quality of life and cost of care of back pain patients in Finnish general practice. Spine 2002;27:647-53. (Pubitemid 34226122)
62. Hollinghurst S, Sharp D, Ballard K, et al. Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain: economic evaluation. BMJ 2008;337:a2656.
63. Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Harber P, et al. The effectiveness of physical modalities among patients with low back pain randomized to chiropractic care: findings from the UCLA low back pain study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2002;25:10-20. (Pubitemid 34171938)
64. Kominski GF, Heslin KC, Morgenstern H, et al. Economic evaluation of four treatments for low-back pain: results from a randomized controlled trial. Med Care 2005;43:428-35. (Pubitemid 40694602)
65. Lewis JS, Hewitt JS, Billington L, et al. A randomized clinical trial comparing two physiotherapy interventions for chronic low back pain. Spine 2005;30:711-21.
66. Lipton JA, Meneses P, Martin JB, et al. Improved pain score outcomes achieved through the cooperative and cost-effective use of physical (osteopathic manipulative) medicine in the treatment of outpatient musculoskeletal complaints. Am Acad Osteopathy J 2002;12:26-32.
67. Stano M, Haas M, Goldberg B, et al. Chiropractic and medical care costs of low back care: results from a practice-based observational study. Am J Manag Care 2002;8:802-9.
68. UK Beam Trial Team. United Kingdom back pain exercise and manipulation (UK BEAM) randomised trial: cost effectiveness of physical treatments for back pain in primary care. BMJ 2004;329:1381.
69. Whitehurst DGT, Lewis M, Yao GL, et al. A brief pain management program compared with physical therapy for low back pain: results from an economic analysis alongside a randomized clinical trial. Arthritis Care Res 2007;57:466-73. (Pubitemid 46682535)
70. Wilkey A, Gregory M, Byfield D, et al. A comparison between chiropractic management and pain clinic management for chronic low-back pain in a National Health Service outpatient clinic. J Altern Complement Med 2008;14:465-73. (Pubitemid 351873387)
71. Williams NH, Edwards RT, Linck P, et al. Cost-utility analysis of osteopathy in primary care: results from a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Fam Pract 2004;21:643-50. (Pubitemid 39654862)
72. Williams NH, Wilkinson C, Russell I, et al. Randomized osteopathic manipulation study (ROMANS): pragmatic trial for spinal pain in primary care. Fam Pract 2003;20:662-9. (Pubitemid 38054714)
73. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Assessing cost-effectiveness. The guidelines manual. London: National Health Service, 2009:81-91.
74. Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. Guidelines for the pharmaceutical industry on preparaion of submissions to the pharmaceutical benefits advisory committee. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2002.
75. Glennie JL, Torrance GW, Baladi JF, et al. The revised Canadian guidelines for the economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals. Pharmacoeconomics 1999;15:459-68. (Pubitemid 29210949)
76. Neumann PJ, Greenberg D, Olchanski NV, et al. Growth and quality of the cost-utility literature, 1976-2001. Value Health 2005;8:3-9. (Pubitemid 40293636)
77. Neumann PJ. Costing and perspective in published cost-effectiveness analysis. Med Care 2009;47:S28-32.
78. Black C, Clar C, Henderson R, et al. The clinical effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements in slowing or arresting progression of osteoarthritis of the knee: a systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess 2009;13:1-148.
79. Franzosi MG, Brunetti M, Marchioli R, et al. Cost-effectiveness analysis of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acides (PUFA) after myocardial infarction: results from Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto (GISSI) - Prevenzione Trial. Pharmacoeconomics 2001;19:411-20. (Pubitemid 32319934)
80. Herman PM, Szczurko O, Cooley K, et al. Cost-effectiveness of naturopathic care for chronic low back pain. Altern Ther Health Med 2008;14:32-9.
81. Kim N, Yang B, Lee T, et al. An economic analysis of usual care and acupuncture collaborative treatment on chronic low back pain: a Markov model decision analysis. BMC Complement Altern Med 2010;10:74.
82. Korthals-de Bos IB, Hoving JL, van Tulder MW, et al. Cost effectiveness of physiotherapy, manual therapy, and general practitioner care for neck pain: economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2003;326:911.
83. Lamotte M, Annemans L, Kawalec P, et al. A multi-country health economic evaluation of highly concentrated n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in secondary prevention after myocardial infarction. Pharmacoeconomics 2006;24:783-95. (Pubitemid 44232106)
84. Quilici S, Martin M, McGuire A, et al. A cost-effectiveness analysis of n-3 PUFA (Omacor®) treatment in post-MI patients. Int J Clin Pract 2006;60:922-32. (Pubitemid 44082283)
85. Ratcliffe J, Thomas KJ, MacPherson H, et al. A randomised controlled trial of acupuncture care for persistent low back pain: cost effectiveness analysis. BMJ 2006;333:626.
86. Reinhold T, Witt CM, Jena S, et al. Quality of life and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in patients with osteoarthritis pain. Eur J Health Econ 2008;9:209-19. (Pubitemid 351962394)
87. Schmier JK, Rachman NJ, Halpern MT. The cost-effectiveness of omega-3 supplements for prevention of secondary coronary events. Manag Care 2006;15:43-50.
88. Stevenson M, Lloyd-Jones M, Papaioannou D. Vitamin K to prevent fractures in older women: systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess 2009;13:1-134.
89. Thomas KJ, MacPherson H, Ratcliffe J, et al. Longer term clinical and economic benefits of offering acupuncture care to patients with chronic low back pain. Health Technol Assess 2005;9:1-109.
90. Trevithick JR, Massel D, Robertson JM, et al. Modeling savings from prophylactic REACT antioxidant use among a cohort initially aged 50-55 years: a Canadian perspective. J Orthomolecular Med 2006;21:212-20. (Pubitemid 46102668)
91. van den Berg I, Kaandorp GC, Bosch JL, et al. Cost-effectiveness of breech version by acupuncture-type interventions on BL 67, including moxibustion, for women with a breech foetus at 33 weeks gestation: a modelling approach. Complement Ther Med 2010;18:67-77.
92. Van Tubergen A, Boonen A, Landewe R, et al. Cost effectiveness of combined spa-exercise therapy in ankylosing spondylitis: a randomized controlled trial. Arthritis Rheum 2002;47:459-67. (Pubitemid 35291365)
93. Vickers AJ, Rees RW, Zollman CE, et al. Acupuncture of chronic headache disorders in primary care: randomised controlled trial and economic analysis. Health Technol Assess 2004;8:1-35.
94. Willich SN, Reinhold T, Selim D, et al. Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in patients with chronic neck pain. Pain 2006;125:107-13. (Pubitemid 44498975)
95. Wilson CJ, Datta SK. Tai chi for the prevention of fractures in a nursing home population: an economic analysis. J Clin Outcomes Manag 2001;8:19-27.
96. Witt CM, Jena S, Selim D, et al. Pragmatic randomized trial evaluating the clinical and economic effectiveness of acupuncture for chronic low back pain. Am J Epidemiol 2006;165:487-96. (Pubitemid 44576616)
97. Witt CM, Reinhold T, Brinkhaus B, et al. Acupuncture in patients with dysmenorrhea: a randomized study on clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in usual care. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008;198:166.e1-8.
98. Witt CM, Reinhold T, Jena S, et al. Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture in women and men with allergic rhinitis: a randomized controlled study in usual care. Am J Epidemiol 2009;169:562-71.
99. Witt CM, Reinhold T, Jena S, et al. Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in patients with headache. Cephalalgia 2008;28:334-45. (Pubitemid 351341438)
100. Wonderling D, Vickers AJ, Grieve R, et al. Cost effectiveness analysis of a randomised trial of acupuncture for chronic headache in primary care. BMJ 2004;328:747.
101. Zijlstra TR, Braakman-Jansen LM, Taal E, et al. Cost-effectiveness of spa treatment for fibromyalgia: general health improvement is not for free. Rheumatol 2007;46:1454-9. (Pubitemid 47317094)
102. Braga M, Gianotti L, Vignali A, et al. Hospital resources consumed for surgical morbidity: effects of preoperative arginine and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on costs. Nutrition 2005;21:1078-86. (Pubitemid 41674585)
103. Stevenson MD, Jones ML. The cost effectiveness of a randomized controlled trial to establish the relative efficacy of vitamin K1 compared with alendronate. Med Decis Making 2010;31:43-52.
104. Grosse SD. Assessing cost-effectiveness in healthcare: history of the $50,000 per QALY threshold. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2008;8:165-78. (Pubitemid 351959547)
105. Schultz AM, Chao SM, McGinnis JM, eds. Integrative medicine and the health of the public: a summary of the February 2009 Summit. Washington DC: Institute of Medicine, 2009.
106. Bell CM, Urbach DR, Ray JG, et al. Bias in published cost effectiveness studies: systematic review. BMJ 2006;332:699-703.