Direct medical costs in patients with fibromyalgia: Cost of illness and impact of a brief multidisciplinary treatment program.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the direct medical costs of clinically diagnosed patients with fibromyalgia with the medical costs of matched controls during a 4-yr period and to assess the impact of a fibromyalgia treatment program on healthcare utilization and associated medical costs.


METHODS
A retrospective comparison of economic outcomes in 87 patients who participated in a fibromyalgia treatment program between 2001 and 2004 and who were local residents for the entire 4-yr period spanning their participation in the program, with age and sex-matched controls. Costs for the 2 yrs before and 2 yrs after program participation were also compared.


RESULTS
Four-year medical costs for controls were $7774 compared with $15,759 for those with fibromyalgia. There was no significant change in direct costs after participation in a brief fibromyalgia treatment program. Those with increased symptom severity averaged $2034 higher direct medical costs during the 4-yr period.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with clinically diagnosed fibromyalgia incur direct medical costs about twice that of their matched controls. This increased cost is related to the severity of their symptoms as measured by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and was not impacted by participation in a brief cognitive behaviorally based fibromyalgia treatment program.
Thompson
Jeffrey M
JM
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Luedtke
Connie A
CA
Oh
Terry H
TH
Shah
Nilay D
ND
Long
Kirsten Hall
KH
King
Susan
S
Branda
Megan
M
Swanson
Randy
R
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012648:Self Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index