title: Cost-utility of exercise therapy in patients with hip osteoarthritis in primary care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the cost-effectiveness (CE) of exercise therapy (intervention group) compared to 'general practitioner (GP) care' (control group) in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) in primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cost-utility analysis was conducted with 120 GPs in the Netherlands from the societal and healthcare perspective. Data on direct medical costs, productivity costs and quality of life (QoL) was collected using standardised questionnaires which were sent to the patients at baseline and at 6, 13, 26, 39 and 52 weeks follow-up. All costs were based on Euro 2011 cost data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 203 patients were included. The annual direct medical costs per patient were significantly lower for the intervention group (€ 1233) compared to the control group (€ 1331). The average annual societal costs per patient were lower in the intervention group (€ 2634 vs € 3241). Productivity costs were higher than direct medical costs. There was a very small adjusted difference in QoL of 0.006 in favour of the control group (95% CI: -0.04 to +0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study revealed that exercise therapy is probably cost saving, without the risk of noteworthy negative health effects.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NTR1462.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute for Medical Technology Assessment & Institute of Health Policy and Management, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: s.s.tan@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Department of General Practice, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: c.teirlinck@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Teirlinck
authors.affiliation: VU University Medical Center, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine & EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.dekker@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute for Medical Technology Assessment & Institute of Health Policy and Management, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: goossens@bmg.eur.nl.
authors.forename: L M A
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Department of General Practice, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.bohnen@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bohnen
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedics, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.verhaar@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: J A N
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Verhaar
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Department of General Practice, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: p.vanes@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: van Es
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Department of General Practice, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: b.koes@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Koes
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Department of General Practice, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedics, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: s.bierma-zeinstra@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: S M A
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bierma-Zeinstra
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Department of General Practice, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: p.luijsterburg@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: P A J
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Luijsterburg
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute for Medical Technology Assessment & Institute of Health Policy and Management, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: koopmanschap@bmg.eur.nl.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Koopmanschap
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004526:Efficiency; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D005194:Family Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics
keywords: Cost analysis; Cost effectiveness; Exercise therapy; Osteoarthritis of the hip; Physiotherapy