The costs of early XXXX : a population-based study in southern Sweden.

@entity1 @entity32 @entity625 @entity309
OBJECTIVE: To study the costs and use of healthcare for @entity1 during the first months with @entity32 , in a population-based prospective referral study in Southern Sweden. METHODS: Adult @entity1 with @entity625 for < 3 months and with onset of symptoms between 1 May 1999 and 1 May 2000 were referred from primary health centres to rheumatologists. Four clinical assessments were performed during a 6-month follow-up period. The direct medical costs for inpatient stays, outpatient visits, visits to general practitioners, and visits to health professionals, as well as costs for medication, radiographs, and laboratory tests were recorded from the onset of the disease up to 6 months of follow-up. Indirect costs for sick leave were also recorded. RESULTS: Fifty-six of 71 referred @entity1 agreed to participate. Thirteen (23%) had @entity309 , 21 (38%) had @entity625 ( @entity625 ), 14 (25%) had undifferentiated @entity625 , and eight (14%) had other arthritides. The median cost per @entity1 in the entire group was USD 3362. The median cost per @entity1 in the @entity309 group was USD 4385, and USD 4085 in the @entity625 group. There was no statistically significant difference in the median costs per @entity1 in the different diagnostic groups. Sick leave accounted for 44% of the total costs in the entire group, and 46% and 47%, respectively, in the @entity309 and @entity625 groups. CONCLUSION: The costs of early @entity625 are already considerable during the first months of the disease following the onset of the symptoms. The indirect costs due to sick leave accounted for nearly half of the costs.
