The association between waiting time and multidisciplinary pain treatment outcomes in patients with rheumatic conditions

Table 3 Association between waiting time and the change in pain intensity from baseline to the 6-month follow-up, for the overall sample and by main rheumatic condition

	Pain intensity at baseline, Mean (SD)	Pain intensity at 6 months, Mean (SD)	GEE models
	Pain intensity at baseline, Mean (SD)	Pain intensity at 6 months, Mean (SD)	Unadj. p value ^a	Unadj. change from baseline to 6 months, EMM (95% CI)	Adj. p value ^a,b	Adj. change from baseline to 6 months, EMM ^b (95% CI)
Overall sample (n)	3227	1948	< 0.001		< 0.001
Total	7.0 (1.9)	6.2 (2.3)
< 2 months	6.9 (2.0)	5.6 (2.5)		−1.3 [− 1.6, − 1.0]		−1.3 [− 1.6, − 0.9]
2–6 months	7.0 (1.8)	6.4 (2.2)		−0.6 [− 0.9, − 0.4]		−0.6 [− 0.9, − 0.4]
> 6 months	6.9 (1.9)	6.5 (2.1)		− 0.4 [− 0.6, − 0.3]		− 0.4 [− 0.6, − 0.2]
Osteoarthritis (n)	668	396	0.058		0.114
Total	6.7 (1.9)	6.1 (2.4)
< 2 months	6.6 (2.0)	5.6 (2.6)		−1.1 [− 1.8, − 0.4]		−1.1 [− 1.8, − 0.3]
2–6 months	6.9 (1.8)	6.3 (2.3)		−0.6 [− 1.1, 0.03]		−0.5 [− 1.1, 0.01]
> 6 months	6.6 (1.9)	6.2 (2.2)		− 0.4 [− 0.8, 0.05]		− 0.4 [− 0.9, 0.02]
Fibromyalgia (n)	676	359	0.087		0.022
Total	6.9 (1.8)	6.5 (2.1)
< 2 months	7.1 (1.6)	6.2 (2.3)		−0.9 [− 1.6, − 0.3]		− 1.0 [− 1.6, − 0.3]
2–6 months	6.9 (1.7)	6.4 (2.1)		− 0.5 [− 1.0, 0.02]		−0.5 [− 1.1, 0.01]
> 6 months	6.9 (1.9)	6.7 (2.0)		− 0.3 [− 0.7, 0.03]		−0.2 [− 0.6, 0.1]

SD standard deviation, GEE generalized estimating equations, EMM estimated marginal means, 95% CI 95% confidence interval
^a Time X group effect p value
^b Adjusted for age, sex, pain duration, number of comorbidities and income

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