The economic burden due to osteoarthritis (OA) is massive and is the result of direct costs to the health care system, indirect costs to individuals living with OA, and the intangible costs of living with a chronic disabling condition. Compared to age and sex-matched peers, OA patients incur higher out of pocket health-related expenditures. People with OA also incur substantial costs due to lost productivity, including both absenteeism (days off work) and presenteeism (reduced self-reported productivity at work). As the burden of OA rises globally, so too will the economic burden

On this episode we discuss: the basic principles of osteoarthritis economics, average direct healthcare costs of living with osteoarthritis, total healthcare costs to the economy and much more.

Professor Elena Losina, Robert W. Lovett Professor of Orthopedic Surgery (Biostatistics) at Harvard Medical School, is an internationally recognized investigator in the epidemiology and outcomes of musculoskeletal disorders. She is a Director of the Policy and Innovation eValuation in Orthopedic Treatments (PIVOT) Center and co-Director of the Orthopaedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research (OrACORe) and is a Principal Investigator of the Methodology Core of the Robert Brigham Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA. Dr. Losina has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Losina leads an NIH funded multi-sited project to conduct health policy evaluations related to surgical and non-surgical management of knee osteoarthritis. She is recognized internationally for her expertise in melding rigorous clinical research methodologies across multiple clinical disciplines, from orthopedics and osteoarthritis to global health.

RESOURCES

• The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention - Osteoarthritis
• The Arthritis Foundation
• Arthritis Australia

CONNECT WITH US

• Twitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorg
• Email: hello@jointaction.info
• Website: www.jointaction.info/podcast

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