Clinical Outcomes - Carle Spine Institute

Carle Spine Institute | 610 North Lincoln Ave. Urbana, Illinois 61801 | Medical Advice Nurse 217-383-6555

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Clinical Outcomes

The trend in medicine is to explore non-surgical solutions to various health problems. The same trend is occurring in the area of spine care.

The TRUE definition of quality is reduction of variation about the mean. As quality experts note, unless you have data, you have no business talking about quality. Carle Spine Institute was the first spine center in the region in 2004 to report outcomes.

New patients coming into Carle Spine Institute completed an intake form that measured their pain level, severity of symptoms and functional status. Three months after their first visit, a nurse called a random sample of these patients and interviewed them for functional status, current symptoms and patient satisfaction. This is the most unbiased, statistically relevant method for outcomes analysis.

The clinical outcomes presented here are analyzed by an outside firm that specializes in tracking spine outcomes, and is involved with other spine centers across the U.S. The results show that Carle Spine Institute receives at its front door the most complex patient base in the region. One in three new patients coming to Carle Spine Institute had previous back surgery elsewhere. More than half of all new patients had serious neurological symptoms like pain radiating beyond a knee or elbow, or numbness in a leg or arm — which typically implies a disc-related problem. But even with the most complex patient base, the center had impressive outcomes. As to patient satisfaction, Carle Spine Institute averaged above 95% for all seven categories measured.

Quality is a journey, however, rather than a destination, and we are committed to continually improving. This report documents our footprints on that journey. Click here to view Carle Spine Institute's Clinical Outcome Report Card for the year 2008.

Internal Clinical Outcomes Study - 2007

As the region’s only multidisciplinary spine center, our experts at Carle Spine Institute handle the area’s most complex back and neck pain cases. We surveyed patients who received physical therapy, lumbar surgery or cervical surgery between February and September 2007. Patients were asked to report quarterly how pain affected their everyday life for a year after the initial consult. Click here to view patient outcome data for this internal study.

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Need more information on back and neck pain?
Click here to view resource books on spine problems, what causes back pain, what causes neck pain and when to see the doctor.

Carle Clinic Association and Carle Foundation Hospital are separate business corporations that work together to provide quality care and services to their patients. Carle Clinic Association and Carle Foundation Hospital contract with insurance providers separately and may or may not choose to participate in all of the same insurance plans. Patients are urged to check with their carriers as to whether services are covered for either or both organizations. Copyright © 2004, 2003, 2002 Carle Clinic Association and Carle Foundation Hospital.