Table 5

Numbers of office visits, referrals, hospitalizations, and sick notes among study subjects*

Patients with painful neuropathies (N = 31,688)

Comparison group (N = 31,688)

P-Value

Number of office visits

<0.01

0-5

3,314 (10.5)

9,680 (30.5)

6-10

4,489 (14.2)

5,892 (18.6)

11-15

4,602 (14.5)

4,641 (14.6)

16-20

4,295 (13.6)

3,696 (11.7)

> 20

14,988 (47.3)

7,779 (24.5)

Mean (95% CI)

22.8 (22.6-23.0)

14.2 (14.1-14.3)

<0.01

Median (IQR)

19 (11)

11 (4)

Minimum

1

1

Maximum

356

362

Number of referrals

<0.01

0

11,136 (35.1)

17,875 (56.4)

1

5,751 (18.1)

5,256 (16.6)

2

3,664 (11.6)

2,641 (8.3)

≥ 3

11,137 (35.1)

5,916 (18.7)

Mean (95% CI)

2.8 (2.8-2.9)

1.4 (1.4-1.4)

<0.01

Median (IQR)

1.0 (0.0-4.0)

0.0 (0.0-2.0)

Minimum

0

0

Maximum

55

65

Number of hospitalizations

<0.01

0

28,538 (90.1)

29,971 (94.6)

1

2,124 (6.7)

1,175 (3.7)

2

635 (2.0)

352 (1.1)

≥ 3

391 (1.2)

190 (0.6)

Mean (95% CI)

0.2 (0.2-0.2)

0.1 (0.1-0.1)

<0.01

Median (IQR)

0.0 (0.0-0.0)

0.0 (0.0-0.0)

Minimum

0

0

Maximum

23

38

Number of sick notes

<0.01

0

26,453 (83.5)

29,474 (93.0)

1

2,046 (6.5)

1,111 (3.5)

2

1,109 (3.5)

505 (1.6)

≥ 3

2,080 (6.6)

598 (1.9)

Mean (95% CI)

0.5 (0.4-0.5)

0.2 (0.1-0.2)

<0.01

Median (IQR)

0.0 (0.0-0.0)

0.0 (0.0-0.0)

Minimum

0

0

Maximum

19

19

*Unless otherwise indicated, all values are number (%).

CI confidence interval; IQR interquartile range

Berger et al. BMC Neurology 2012 12:8   doi:10.1186/1471-2377-12-8