Musculoskeletal disorders in Norway: trends in health care utilization and patient pathways: a nationwide register study

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of primary health care 2024-12, Vol.42 (4), p.582-592
• Main Authors: Tyrdal, Mari Kristine, Perrier, Flavie, Røe, Cecilie, Natvig, Bård, Wahl, Astrid Klopstad, Veierød, Marit B, Robinson, Hilde Stendal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Back Pain - epidemiology; Back Pain - therapy; Cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; Demography; Family physicians; Female; Fibromyalgia; Fibromyalgia - epidemiology; Fibromyalgia - therapy; general practitioner; Health services utilization; Health status; Humans; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medical personnel; Middle Aged; Musculoskeletal diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases - epidemiology; Musculoskeletal Diseases - therapy; Norway - epidemiology; Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis - epidemiology; Osteoarthritis - therapy; Pain; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Patients; physiotherapy; Primary Health Care; Register data; Registries; specialist health care; Trends; Women; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0281-3432; 1502-7724; 1502-7724
• DOI: 10.1080/02813432.2024.2368848

Describe trends in health care utilization, demographic characteristics and patient pathways among patients with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in Norway. Register-based cohort study. Data were obtained from two Norwegian National registries; the Norwegian Control and Payment of Health Reimbursements Database (KUHR) and the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR). Patients with MSD according to ICPC-2 and ICD-10 during 2014-2017. Patient pathways from the first contact and the following two years, described in a Sankey Diagram for all MSD patients and three common diagnoses: spine pain, osteoarthritis (OA) and fibromyalgia (FM). About 26% of the Norwegian population consulted PHC annually while 7% were treated in SHC. Mean age was 47 and 53 years in PHC and SHC, respectively. The proportion of women increased by age. Spine pain was the most common diagnosis; 33% and 22% in PHC and SHC, respectively. Over 90% visited a GP first, 50% of them were treated by PT and/or in SHC during follow-up. Patients visiting the PT first were less likely to be treated in SHC. OA patients were most likely to be treated by more than one health care professional (>70%). One third of the Norwegian population consulted health care services due to MSD annually between 2014-2017. GP was the most consulted health care professional. Among MSD patients with long-term use of health care services, 50% were treated by a PT and/or in SHC in addition to a GP.