Costs and outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Abstract

A prospective descriptive study was done on the direct and indirect costs to ambulatory patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, stratified at study entry by level of function. Measures of health status over a 1-year period were taken. On a yearly basis, in 1979 dollars, patients spent an average of $147 for arthritis medications, aids, and devices, and $207 for outpatient visits. A small number were hospitalized and incurred an average charge of $245, and an additional $84 for physician fees. In addition to direct monetary costs, patients averaged 6.8 days of restricted activity per month, in some cases so severe as to confine patients to bed for an average of 1.3 days per month. Among students and working patients, 2.5 workdays per month were lost due to arthritis, and 30% reported that they

Costs of hip fracture: Rehabilitation of 180 patients in primary health care

“…Studies relating function to costs are rare. However, in rheumatoid arthritis good functional status has been related to low medical treatment costs (Liang et al 1984.…”

A patient‐centered perspective on surgery avoidance for hip or knee arthritis: Lessons for the future

“…When medical therapy fails to control pain or physical functioning reaches an unacceptable level, total joint arthroplasty (TJA) of the hip or knee is indicated (3,4). Although TJA results in substantial reduction in pain and disability (3)(4)(5)(6)(7), studies indicate that candidates for surgery can be reluctant to consider TJA. For example, in a US study, many African Americans with advanced knee osteoarthritis (OA) reported being unwilling to have surgery, reflecting a belief that it would not significantly improve their current health (8).…”

Direct costs related to rheumatoid arthritis: the patient perspective

“…2 3 Although the number of published reports on cost of illness in rheumatoid arthritis has increased considerably over the past decade, [4][5][6] most of the studies have applied a societal or a payer perspective and have not specifically addressed OOPE. Only few studies have examined OOPE in rheumatic conditions: Boonen et al 7 examined OOPE in 209 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and reported an average annual healthcare and non-healthcare expenditure of J431 per patient; Lapsely et al 8 reported particularly high OOPE for patients with advanced osteoarthritis, especially women in Australia; Lapsley et al 9 examined rheumatoid arthritis related OOPE in Australia and found an average annual spending of $A1513 (,J893; exchange rate as per July 2004: 1J = 0.59A$); in an early study by Liang et al, 10 the fraction covered by patient OOPE was estimated to account for at least 20% of total rheumatoid arthritis related direct costs; and finally, in a study by Cooper et al, 11 individuals with early inflammatory polyarthritis incurred a mean expenditure of £1297 over a six month period.…”