Cost-Effectiveness Implications
Part of Trial or No Trial? The Future of SCS Selection
Details
- Date
- Saturday, January 23, 2027
- Time
- 11:35 AM – 11:50 AM
- Session type
- Concurrent Session
- Schedule
- See this day
About
This controversy-based panel will examine whether the conventional screening trial paradigm for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) still represents best practice in 2027. Speakers will review the evidence comparing trial-first versus direct-to-implant strategies, discuss how trial duration may influence both signal quality and infection risk, analyze how false positives and responder enrichment bias can distort both research and real-world decision-making, and evaluate the cost-effectiveness implications of maintaining or abandoning trial-based selection. The session is designed to move beyond dogma and provide attendees with a practical, evidence-informed framework for patient selection in modern SCS practice.
Presenters
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David A. Provenzano, MD
President of Pain Diagnostics and Interventional Care
Pain Diagnostics and Interventional Care · Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Dr. David Provenzano is the president of Pain Diagnostics and Interventional Care. He is a member of the executive committee of the Medical Staff at Western PA Surgery Center and serves on the Heritage Valley Healthcare Network CIN/ACO Quality Assurance Committees. Dr. Provenzano has received multiple awards for his academic and clinical accomplishment including the 2024 North American Neuromodulation Society Presidential Award and the European Society Regional Anesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA-Spain) Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Provenzano received his undergraduate degree from Colgate University. He went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, followed by a surgical internship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and a residency in anesthesiology at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital. He completed a pain management fellowship at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
Dr. Provenzano has authored over 100 scientific articles and led many research studies focused on neuromodulation, radiofrequency lesioning, ultrasound, and healthcare safety. He is past president of ASRA Pain Medicine, serves as its AMA House of Delegates Representative, and co-chairs the NANS Advocacy and Policy Committee.