Fibromyalgia-related costs and loss of productivity: a substantial societal burden

Abstract

BackgroundThis study aimed at describing pain-related health care resource use, direct costs, and productivity loss among patients suffering from fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).MethodsA cost-of-illness study with a sample of 57 adults having a diagnosis of FMS was conducted in the province of Quebec (Canada). Data regarding FMS-related direct costs and productivity loss from paid and unpaid work over a three-month period were collected using a standardized structured telephone interview protocol. Direct costs were valued in 2009 Canadian dollars using a societal perspective.ResultsResults showed that average direct costs over a three-month period added up to $951 per patient (SD: $710), which could be translated in a mean annual cost of $3804. The purchase of prescribed medications led to the highest costs (mean: $329, SD: $321), followed by consultations to health care professionals other than physicians (mean: $129, SD: $222) and physicians consultations (mean: $98, SD: $116). Results further showed a high economic burden for patients themselves, aside from costs covered by public or private insurers. Among the subsample of participants who had a paid job (45.6 %), an average of 5.6 days (SD: 13.2) were lost due to pain during the past three months. Among those who were not employed (54.4 %), an average of 25.1 days in household productivity (SD: 24.8) were lost.ConclusionsFMS is associated with a substantial socioeconomic burden. Further research is clearly needed to improve the management of this type of disorder and make better decisions regarding resource allocation.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12891-016-1027-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Determining the association between fibromyalgia, the gut microbiome and its biomarkers: A systematic review

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Resistance Training Improves Quality of Life and Associated Factors in Patients With Fibromyalgia Syndrome

“…Regular use of medication is the most common treatment for patients with FM, with positive results in reducing the negative impact on quality of life . However, medical expenses for this type of treatment are high for patients and the public health system, in addition to being associated with side effects . In this way, regular practice of physical exercise presents as an effective but less costly treatment that is easy to implement, besides improving the general health of patients …”

“…4 Some studies have reported that the quality of life in patients with FM is affected by physical, social, and psychological variables and is related to the number of children, age, educational level, pain intensity, and depression and anxiety levels. [5][6][7] In addition, FM adversely affects work capacity, 8,9 as symptoms and recurrent absences reduce productivity by about 65%. 8 Current treatment for FM is palliative, as there is no cure.…”

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