Objective: Fibromyalgia (FM) patients have been regarded as great utilizers of health resources, with important related costs. The aim of this study is to describe health care resource utilisation and related costs of FM from the perspective of the National Health System in Spain.
Patients and methods: A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted on FM patients based on a patient interview. Data about demographic and clinical variables, physical examination, self-perceived health, psychosocial variables and health resource utilisation, were collected. Direct and indirect costs were calculated, and a correlational study between costs and clinical variables was performed.
Results: Three-hundred and one patients were studied. During the year 2006 the mean total cost per patient per year was 9,982 Euros, of which 3,245.8 (32.5%) corresponded to health care costs and 6,736.2 (67.5%) to indirect costs attributable to productivity losses. Non-drug therapies accounted for the largest proportion of the health care costs, three times greater than the drug treatment. Patients with higher total costs showed the greatest disease involvement. The variables associated to the total health care costs were functional capacity, depression, comorbidities and age. Patients with permanent working disability were the greatest resource utilizers.
Conclusions: FM patients with higher costs show the greatest disease involvement. Direct and indirect costs are well correlated to disease severity. The indirect costs account for most of the economic burden of FM and approximately double the health care costs. Patients with permanent working disability present more severe disease and generate greater health care costs.