Quantifying the economic burden of productivity loss in rheumatoid arthritis

In light of the large number of recent studies and systematic reviews investigating the cost of RA, this article examines the methods used to assess the impact of RA on employment and work productivity, and provides an overview of the issues surrounding work productivity loss in the RA population.

A review of the published literature was conducted in order to identify relevant articles. These articles were then reviewed and their methodologies compared. The various methods used to calculate economic loss were then explained and discussed.

We found that although methods of lost productivity and associated costs varied between studies, all suggest that RA is associated with significant burden of illness. Economic analyses that exclude indirect costs will therefore underestimate the full economic impact of RA. However, the methods used to calculate productivity loss have a significant impact on the results of indirect cost analyses, and should be selected carefully when designing such studies. Several factors relating to the disease, the job and socio-demographics have been found to predict work disability.

Consideration of these factors is vital when measuring the extent of both absenteeism and presenteeism, and will allow for more accurate estimation of the impact of RA on work productivity. This information may also guide interventions aiming to prevent or postpone work disability and job loss.