Costs per participant by trial arm over 12 months
| Complete case analysis | Control (n=318) £mean (SD) | Intervention (n=237) £mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|
| NHS* | ||
| GP | 106.70 (134.57) | 96.97 (134.58) |
| Practice nurse | 7.87 (33.51) | 8.35 (37.93) |
| Physiotherapist | 61.99 (165.96) | 74.67 (163.36) |
| Orthopaedic surgeon | 48.43 (114.47) | 36.58 (102.54) |
| Rheumatologist | 20.91 (87.79) | 11.22 (52.17) |
| Acupuncturist | 5.67 (50.74) | 1.67 (13.63) |
| Chiropractor | 4.28 (35.81) | 1.48 (15.08) |
| Occupational therapist | 7.89 (51.29) | 5.01 (24.62) |
| Other healthcare professionals | 33.88 (187.28) | 21.67 (117.81) |
| Prescriptions | 55.18 (118.24) | 47.15 (110.41) |
| Surgery | 422.97 (1759.25) | 404.12 (1655.21) |
| Inpatient costs | 21.57 (230.41) | 75.11 (956.32) |
| Investigations | 109.53 (329.93) | 100.77 (263.43) |
| Injections | 44.37 (164.06) | 55.22 (274.33) |
| Private* | ||
| Physiotherapist | 9.46 (55.05) | 22.68 (155.41) |
| Orthopaedic surgeon | 4.49 (34.07) | 3.01 (23.74) |
| Rheumatologist | 0 | 1.12 (17.27) |
| Acupuncturist | 3.04 (30.91) | 5.76 (40.60) |
| Chiropractor | 9.13 (85.47) | 6.68 (48.31) |
| Occupational therapist | 0 | 0.74 (11.43) |
| Other healthcare professionals | 3.98 (38.49) | 7.63 (97.90) |
| Over-the-counter medicines | 20.20 (52.59) | 15.06 (30.06) |
| Work-related outcomes | ||
| Musculoskeletal-related work absence costs | 740.30 (2084.75) | 539.36 (2069.43) |
| Complete case | ||
| Total NHS cost, £ | 951.25 (2050.88) | 940.02 (2157.24) |
| Mean difference (95% CI)† | 11.22 (−363.27 to 340.82) | |
| Total healthcare costs,‡ £ | 1001.56 (2068.62) | 1002.72 (2230.66) |
| Mean difference (95% CI)† | −1.15 (−358.00 to 360.32) | |
*Resource use and costs were related to the respondent's MSK condition.
†Difference=intervention−control. CIs were generated using regression models for clustered data.
‡Includes costs to the NHS, private healthcare costs and over-the-counter treatment costs. In the UK, private healthcare costs are met in full by the patient.
GP, general practitioner; MSK, musculoskeletal; NHS, National Health Service.