Measuring the Value of Medical Treatment Outside ACOEM Guideline Targets on Low Back Soft Tissue Injury Outcomes

This study compares recovery and cost outcomes and the use of common medical procedures 1) not recommended by the ACOEM Guidelines and 2) those recommended with optimal targets (PT and chiro services). Results show that when treatment exceeded ACOEM-recommended levels, medical and indemnity payments, treatment durations, and the number of paid TD days were significantly higher for many medical service categories.