Cost of rheumatic disorders in the Netherlands

Rheumatic disorders concern a broad spectrum of painful disorders affecting the musculoskeletal system, and are responsible for a considerable amount of disease burden and also a substantial economic burden. This economic burden consists of direct and indirect costs, but also the so-called intangible costs. In this study, we estimated the societal cost of rheumatic disorders in the Netherlands, including intangible costs. Data from the National Monitor on Musculoskeletal System 2010 were used to assess resource used, multiplied with standard prices for the Netherlands to obtain total costs for the 1.8 million people suffering from rheumatic disorders. These estimates were supplemented with data from secondary sources. Total societal costs of rheumatic disorders in the Netherlands amount to €4.7 million a year, that is, €2665 per person with rheumatic disorders. Rheumatic disorders have considerable costs, which justify more attention in discussing investments in facing the challenges in our ageing Western societies.