Interdisciplinary Care

Interdisciplinary programs are time- and resource-intensive, which may make them less accessible to some individuals.

Evidence for the intervention

Evidence describing interdisciplinary care comes from multiple systematic reviews citing low to moderate quality evidence. These reviews draw from randomized control trials sampling from populations that include low back pain, fibromyalgia, and multiple chronic pain conditions. Trials included in these systematic reviews generally had small sample sizes and a lack of clinician and participant blinding, which limited the quality of their findings. Studies examining real-world application of interdisciplinary care note differences in specific treatments offered, but future research is needed to understand which specific components of interdisciplinary care programs are essential to achieving clinical outcomes, and for whom specific components are most helpful. 

Evidence-based Scale

Studies examining the long-term effects of interdisciplinary care have found that non-White individuals are more likely to experience poorer initial treatment response, decay in treatment effects, and are less likely to complete the full course of treatment compared to White, non-Hispanic individuals. Further, third-party and government-funded payers like Medicare often do not cover costs associated with interdisciplinary care, which may limit access for some people. Finally, individuals with chronic pain referred for this type of care may need significant financial resources, the ability to travel, and the ability to take time off from work to participate in some programs.