New study highlights major cost burden of musculoskeletal conditions

A new Dutch study has cast light on the high cost burden associated with providing care for patients with musculoskeletal diseases.

The Maastricht University study, presented at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) annual congress, has highlighted the fact that healthcare costs were almost 50 percent higher for people with a musculoskeletal condition compared to any other singly occurring condition.

This disparity remained high in cases where two conditions co-existed, with care costs still 36 percent higher for people with two conditions, one of which was musculoskeletal in nature.

Common musculoskeletal conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and lower back pain, all of which may require additional research to tackle these high treatment costs.

Dr Anjte Van Der Zee-Neuen of the Division of Rheumatology at Maastricht University said: "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."

The EULAR congress is currently taking place in Paris and runs from June 11th to 14th 2014.