Study pegs cost of chronic rheumatic diseases on productivity at around $4K per patient annually

A study from Arthritis Research Canada looked at the costs from lost productivity as a result of individuals suffering from one of three systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis/scleroderma (SSc) and Sjogren's syndrome (SjS). It determined that the economic strain from these illnesses results in the following excess productivity costs:

• For those with SLE: $4,494 per patient per year;
• For those with SSc: $3,582 per patient per year; and
• For those with SjS: $4,357 per patient per year.

Researchers noted that many working-age participants aren't working because of their health and of those who were, productivity costs were the result of working while sick and not from missing work due to illness.