Opioid Dependence and Associated Health Care Utilization and Cost in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Population: Analysis Using Marketscan Database

This study examines the relationship between spinal cord injury (SCI), opioid use, and healthcare costs using data from a large insurance claims database. The researchers found that individuals with SCI are more likely to become dependent on opioids after their injury, especially if they were already using opioids beforehand. Opioid dependence after SCI is associated with significantly higher healthcare utilization and costs, suggesting a need for careful consideration of opioid prescriptions in this population.

• 1
  Individuals with SCI are more likely to transition toward opioid use and dependence than toward less use or no use after their injury.
• 2
  Those who used opioids before SCI were more likely to remain opioid users after the injury.
• 3
  Post-SCI opioid-dependent users had the highest health care utilization and expenditures, followed by opioid nondependent users.