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Routine practice treatments reduced costs for fibromyalgia patients
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Patients with fibromyalgia who were treated in routine practice had improved clinical status and reduced costs related to the disease, according to study results.
Researchers in Spain evaluated 232 patients (mean age, 47.73 years; 98% women) with fibromyalgia (FM) and 110 participants in a control group (mean age, 46.01 years; 96% women) without FM or other systemic conditions. The prospective, 3-month study measured clinical assessment, use of health care resources and treatments, out-of-pocket expenses, occupational status, days off work and calculation of lost workday equivalents.
When compared with controls at baseline, patients with FM had four times the health care costs, 12 times the indirect costs and six times the total costs. Measured after 3 months of treatment, the patients had significant clinical improvement, with health care expenses reduced in all areas except pharmaceutical costs, which increased (P<.001), and out-of-pocket expenses, which remained unchanged. Indirect costs, calculated from the number of lost-workday equivalents, were reduced in the FM patients group (P<.05).
“This clinical improvement is accompanied by fewer medical visits, examinations, nonpharmacological therapies and days off work,” the researchers said. “The only cost increase is found in pharmaceutical costs, which grew from 2.6% to 5.6%. This increase … is substantially compensated for by less use of other resources, leading to a significant reduction of up to 14% in total costs.”
Patients with FM had a significantly greater variation in monthly costs (193.75 euros ± 789.1) compared with controls (26.22 euros ± 402.7) (P=.006). Patients who were actively employed had the greatest reduction in health care expenses.
“The treatment of patients with FM in routine clinical practice in rheumatology departments improves their clinical status and is accompanied with a significant reduction in the cost of the disorder, at least in the short term,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: Javier Rejas-Gutiérrez, MD, and Marina De Salas-Cansado, MSc, are employed by Pfizer, S.L.U.
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