Unadjusted, mean healthcare costs by clinico-demographic characteristics.
cancer, lung cancers, pain, head and neck cancers
CANCER, LUNG CANCERS, HEAD AND NECK CANCER
KW = Kruskal-Wallis; MBS = Medicare Benefits Schedule; MWU = Mann-Whitney U; NRS = numeric rating scale; PBS = Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule; SD = standard deviation. Shaded cells indicate statistically significant differences.Mean total MBS and PBS costs varied by cancer type. Mean total MBS costs were highest for participants diagnosed with head and neck cancers ($5,944, 95% CI $3,291, $8,597), whereas mean total PBS costs were highest for people diagnosed with lung cancers ($4,813, 95% CI $1,340, $8,286). However, there were no other differences detected between PBS and MBS costs for age, gender or baseline pain level.