Large differences in cost of illness and wellbeing between patients with fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, or ankylosing spondylitis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the cost of illness of three musculoskeletal conditions in relation to general wellbeing.


METHODS
Patients with fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain (CLBP), and ankylosing spondylitis who were referred to a specialist and participated in three randomised trials completed a cost diary for the duration of the study, comprising direct medical and non-medical resource utilisation and inability to perform paid and unpaid work. Patients rated perceived wellbeing (0-100) at baseline. Univariate differences in costs between the groups were estimated by bootstrapping. Regression analyses assessed which variables, in addition to the condition, contributed to costs and wellbeing.


RESULTS
70 patients with fibromyalgia, 110 with chronic low back pain, and 111 with ankylosing spondylitis provided data for the cost analyses. Average annual disease related total societal costs per patient were 7813 euro for fibromyalgia, 8533 euro for CLBP, and 3205 euro for ankylosing spondylitis. Total costs were higher for fibromyalgia and CLBP than for ankylosing spondylitis, mainly because of cost of formal and informal care, aids and adaptations, and work days lost. Wellbeing was lower in fibromyalgia (mean, 48) and low back pain (mean, 42) than in ankylosing spondylitis (mean, 67). No variables other than diagnostic group contributed to differences in costs or wellbeing.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients under the care of a specialist, there were marked differences in costs and wellbeing between those with fibromyalgia or CLBP and those with ankylosing spondylitis. In particular, direct non-medical costs and productivity costs were higher in fibromyalgia and CLBP.
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital Maastricht, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, Netherlands. aboo@sint.azm.nl
A
A
Boonen
R
R
van den Heuvel
A
A
van Tubergen
M
M
Goossens
J L
JL
Severens
D
D
van der Heijde
S
S
van der Linden
D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011788:Quality of Life; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation