Article

Rheumatology Federal Health Data Trends


 

Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are the most common cause of disability among older adults in the U.S. and have a considerable impact on health, quality of life, and health care costs. According to the CDC, the total direct and indirect cost of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the U.S. during 1997 was $86.2 billion, or 1% of the U.S. gross domestic product.1 As a result of the rapidly growing number of older adults, the prevalence of arthritis is expected to increase substantially over the next 2 decades.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease that manifests primarily in the joints, leading to substantial morbidity, reduced survival, and enormous health care costs. It is one of the most common chronic conditions among veterans and is more prevalent in this group than it is in nonveterans. Similarly, the incidence of osteoarthritis among veterans is considerably higher than the incidence is in the general population. The VA health care system is faced with treating a large number of veterans with arthritis, whose joint symptoms and limitations are more severe than are those of the general population. Furthermore, the burden of treating these veterans will increase as the number of older veterans grows during the next decade.

Click here to read the digital edition.

Recommended Reading

Calcium-Containing Crystal-Associated Arthropathies in the Elderly
Federal Practitioner
Anterior Cervical Interbody Fusion Using a Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Cage Device and Local Autograft Bone
Federal Practitioner
The Relationship Between Sustained Gripping and the Development of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Federal Practitioner
Arthritis Is On the Riseā€”But There Are Ways to Help Reduce the Effects
Federal Practitioner
General Applications of Ultrasound in Rheumatology Practice
Federal Practitioner
Management of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis in a Multidisciplinary Rheumatology/Dermatology Clinic
Federal Practitioner
Osteoarthritis Treatment in the Veteran Population
Federal Practitioner
FRAX Prediction With and Without Bone Mineral Density Testing
Federal Practitioner
Blood Loss and Need for Blood Transfusions in Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty
Federal Practitioner
Improving Care and Reducing Length of Stay in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement
Federal Practitioner