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

• Published in: BMC musculoskeletal disorders Vol. 17; no. 1; p. 168
• Main Authors: Lacasse, Anaïs, Bourgault, Patricia, Choinière, Manon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 16.04.2016; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Care and treatment; Complications and side effects; Cost analysis; Cost of Illness; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data collection; Efficiency; Female; Fibromyalgia; Fibromyalgia - economics; Fibromyalgia - epidemiology; Fibromyalgia - therapy; Health Care Costs; Health care expenditures; Health care policy; Health insurance; Humans; Male; Medical care, Cost of; Medical personnel; Mental disorders; Mental health; Middle Aged; Pain; Patients; Practice; Prescription drugs; Productivity; Public health; Quality of life; Quebec - epidemiology; Canada; United States > US; Quebec Canada; Fibromyalgia; Cost of illness; Societal costs; Direct costs; Chronic pain; Productivity loss
• ISSN: 1471-2474; 1471-2474
• DOI: 10.1186/s12891-016-1027-6

This study aimed at describing pain-related health care resource use, direct costs, and productivity loss among patients suffering from fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). A 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. Results 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. FMS 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.