Epidemiologische data van Ziekten van het botspierstelsel en bindweefsel: Achtergrondrapport voor Programma Zinnige Zorg

Many people in the Netherlands suffer from disorders of the bones, joints and muscles. The causes of these musculoskeletal disorders are diverse and they are often unknown. However, those who suffer from these disorders may have problems at work and in their daily lives. At request of Zorginstituut Nederland, RIVM has compiled an overview of the incidence of ten musculoskeletal disorders in the Netherlands. In addition, RIVM has described how frequently people with these disorders use care services and what the cost of this care is - both now (2017) and in the future (2030). Zorginstituut Nederland specified which ten disorders were included. Due to the ageing of the population, the number of people with diseases associated with old age, such as osteoarthritis and gout, will increase between 2017 and 2030. In 2017, almost 480,000 people in the Netherlands suffered from gout. This number will increase by 20 percent by 2030 to 580,000. Furthermore, due to our ageing population, more people will make use of care as a result of musculoskeletal disorders. The number of people who visited a medical specialist and a hospital due to rheumatoid arthritis in 2017 was almost 90,000 greater than any other musculoskeletal disorder. Due to demographic changes, this number will increase further to 102,000 people (13.9 percent increase). The use of care for other disorders is rising much less quickly. For example, the number of visitors to hospitals and medical specialists for a common shoulder disorder (shoulder syndrome) will increase by 4.1 percent from 83,800 in 2017 to 87,300 in 2030. This modest increase is because shoulder syndrome mainly affects middle-aged people rather than the elderly. The total population of middle-aged people will remain about the same in the coming years. Our ageing population means that the costs of caring for musculoskeletal disorders will increase. For example, the cost of hospital care and medical specialists for gout will increase by 24.2 percent, from 14.2 million in 2017 to 17.6 million in 2030. This overview is a background report for the 'Zinnige Zorg' Programme of Zorginsituut Nederland. The programme systematically examines whether the basic health insurance package contains unnecessary or ineffective forms of care. In this way, Zorginstituut Nederland is promoting accessible and affordable healthcare.