Abstract
Background:
Biofeedback is the process by which individuals, using external monitoring devices, learn to control physiologic functioning through psycho-physiologic self-regulation. Biofeedback is reported to have therapeutic effects on conditions such as chronic pain and anxiety, but few studies have investigated the effect on healthcare resource utilization of incorporating biofeedback into the management plan of adolescents/young adults with these complaints.
Materials and Methods:
Fifty-two patients, identified from a hospital database, were seen for new patient visits regarding candidacy for thermal biofeedback-enhanced relaxation sessions by the first author at our adolescent medicine clinic between January 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. Variables of interest included total number of office visits, phone calls and e-mails (from patients or parents), emergency department visits, and hospitalizations during the year before and after the first biofeedback visit.
Results:
Of the 52 patients, other medical or complementary management was recommended in lieu of biofeedback for seven patients, and they were therefore excluded from the study. Diagnoses of patients accepted for biofeedback included anxiety, headache, gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, and amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome. The average number of office visits, and phone calls and e-mails all decreased significantly (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively), and the number of emergency room visits decreased from 12 to 5 (P = 0.06).
Conclusions:
Thermal biofeedback-enhanced relaxation can be used effectively to reduce patient/family medical/behavioral resource utilization and thus help to decrease healthcare costs.
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