Prioritise treatment of musculoskeletal conditions to save healthcare costs later

Policy makers should prioritise musculoskeletal conditions to reduce their impact on healthcare expenditure, says a study presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress.
Healthcare costs are estimated to be almost 50% higher for people with a musculoskeletal condition compared to any other singly occurring condition. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and lower back pain are the most common musculoskeletal conditions.
In Europe, 70-80% of all healthcare costs relate to chronic diseases, a large proportion of which are musculoskeletal conditions. The current work was based on a cross-section of 8,904 people and shows a steep increase in healthcare costs as the number of diseases (morbidities) in a single patient increased.
Musculoskeletal conditions have a larger impact on healthcare costs than any other diseases, whether occurring alone or as co-morbidity.
“It is clear that the cost of delivering care to those patients with musculoskeletal conditions is considerably higher than those with other diseases,” says Dr Anjte Van Der Zee-Neuen, who was involved in the study. “In these economically challenging times, this research highlights a clear area of focus for policy makers where prioritisation of musculoskeletal disorders could result in longer term cost efficiencies.”