Counting the cost: the current and future burden of arthritis. Part 2. Economic costs

Arthritis is a common, costly and disabling condition. Due to its impact on physical functioning (and psychological impacts due to pain), it is a condition
that impacts substantially on labour force participation (including employment, absenteeism, presenteeism). The indirect costs of arthritis (labour force participation, travel costs, special aids and equipment, carer costs) are
recognised as being greater than the direct (healthcare) costs, and these costs are expected to increase over time due to demographic factors (population ageing, more older women in the population who have a greater risk of arthritis).
The aims of this study were: (a) To project the economic impacts of arthritis from 2015 to 2030, primarily focussing on the costs of lost productivity; and (b) the potential savings from implementing the main elements of an effective intervention for managing arthritis from the societal perspective. The projected costs of arthritis to the health system under these same scenarios are considered in Counting the Cost, Part 1 Healthcare Costs.
In this report, we projected the costs of arthritis through lost labour force participation among Australians aged 15-64 years from the individual and government perspectives. Using our adjusted microsimulation models, we projected 52,000 people to be out of the labour force due to arthritis in 2015, increasing to 59,000 in 2030 – a 13% increase.