title: Burden of fibromyalgia and comparisons with osteoarthritis in the workforce.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To calculate the fibromyalgia (FM) burden of illness (BOI) from the employer perspective and to compare annual prevalence, work output, absence, and health benefit costs of employees with FM versus osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective regression model analysis comparing objective work output, total health benefit (health care, prescription drug, sick leave, disability, workers' compensation) costs, and absence days for FM, versus OA and NoFM cohorts, while controlling for differences in patient characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FM prevalence was 0.73%; OA 0.90%. Total health benefit costs for FM were $8452 versus $11,253 (P < 0.0001) for OA and $4013 (P < 0.0001) for NoFM, with BOI = $4439. Total absence days were 16.8 versus 19.8 (P < 0.0001) and 6.4 (P < 0.0001), respectively. FM had significantly lower annual work output than NoFM (19.5%, P = 0.003) but comparable with OA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FM places a significant cost, absence, and productivity burden on employers.
authors: HCMS Group, Paso Robles, Calif., USA. nathan_kleinman@hcmsgroup.com
authors: Nathan
authors: N
authors: Kleinman
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Harnett
authors: Arthur
authors: A
authors: Melkonian
authors: Wendy
authors: W
authors: Lynch
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Kaplan-Machlis
authors: Stuart L
authors: SL
authors: Silverman
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D017132:Workplace