Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research fundingResearch in context
Summary: Background: Exacerbated by an aging population, musculoskeletal diseases are a chronic and growing problem in the United States that impose significant health and economic burdens. The objective of this study was to analyze the correlation between the burden of diseases and the federal fun...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Lancet Regional Health. Americas |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X23002351 |
| _version_ | 1827386863131820032 |
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| author | Andrew T. Nguyen Izzuddin M. Aris Brian D. Snyder Mitchel B. Harris James D. Kang Martha Murray Edward K. Rodriguez Ara Nazarian |
| author_facet | Andrew T. Nguyen Izzuddin M. Aris Brian D. Snyder Mitchel B. Harris James D. Kang Martha Murray Edward K. Rodriguez Ara Nazarian |
| author_sort | Andrew T. Nguyen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Background: Exacerbated by an aging population, musculoskeletal diseases are a chronic and growing problem in the United States that impose significant health and economic burdens. The objective of this study was to analyze the correlation between the burden of diseases and the federal funds assigned to health-related research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Methods: An ecological study design was used to examine the relationship between NIH research funding and disease burden for 60 disease categories. We used the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 to measure disease burden and the NIH Research, Condition, and Disease Categories (RCDC) data to identify 60 disease categories aligned with available GBD data. NIH funding data was obtained from the RCDC system and the NIH Office of Budget. Using linear regression models, we observed that musculoskeletal diseases were among the most underfunded (i.e., negative residuals from the model) with respect to disease burden. Findings: Musculoskeletal diseases were underfunded, with neck pain being the most underfunded at only 0.83% of expected funding. Low back pain, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis were also underfunded at 13.88%, 35.08%, and 66.26%, respectively. Musculoskeletal diseases were the leading cause of years lived with disability and the third leading cause in terms of prevalence and disability-adjusted life years. Despite the increasing burden of these diseases, the allocation of NIH funding to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) has remained low compared to other institutes. Interpretation: Despite the increasing health burden and economic cost of $980 billion annually, the allocation of NIH funding to the NIAMS has remained low compared to other institutes. These findings suggest that the NIH may need to reassess its allocation of research funding to align with the current health challenges of our country. Furthermore, these clinically relevant observations highlight the need to increase research funding for musculoskeletal diseases and improve their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Funding: No funding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:52:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-81b9b0dea1e04aa6a91cac51e8848e84 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-193X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:52:48Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Lancet Regional Health. Americas |
| spelling | doaj.art-81b9b0dea1e04aa6a91cac51e8848e842024-01-09T04:04:35ZengElsevierThe Lancet Regional Health. Americas2667-193X2024-01-0129100661Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research fundingResearch in contextAndrew T. Nguyen0Izzuddin M. Aris1Brian D. Snyder2Mitchel B. Harris3James D. Kang4Martha Murray5Edward K. Rodriguez6Ara Nazarian7Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Musculoskeletal Translational Innovation Initiative, Carl J. Shapiro Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USADivision of Chronic Disease Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USAHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Musculoskeletal Translational Innovation Initiative, Carl J. Shapiro Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USAHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USAHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USAHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USAHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Musculoskeletal Translational Innovation Initiative, Carl J. Shapiro Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USAHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Musculoskeletal Translational Innovation Initiative, Carl J. Shapiro Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia; Corresponding author. Musculoskeletal Translational Innovation Initiative, 330 Brookline Ave, RN123A, Boston, MA 02215, USA.Summary: Background: Exacerbated by an aging population, musculoskeletal diseases are a chronic and growing problem in the United States that impose significant health and economic burdens. The objective of this study was to analyze the correlation between the burden of diseases and the federal funds assigned to health-related research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Methods: An ecological study design was used to examine the relationship between NIH research funding and disease burden for 60 disease categories. We used the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 to measure disease burden and the NIH Research, Condition, and Disease Categories (RCDC) data to identify 60 disease categories aligned with available GBD data. NIH funding data was obtained from the RCDC system and the NIH Office of Budget. Using linear regression models, we observed that musculoskeletal diseases were among the most underfunded (i.e., negative residuals from the model) with respect to disease burden. Findings: Musculoskeletal diseases were underfunded, with neck pain being the most underfunded at only 0.83% of expected funding. Low back pain, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis were also underfunded at 13.88%, 35.08%, and 66.26%, respectively. Musculoskeletal diseases were the leading cause of years lived with disability and the third leading cause in terms of prevalence and disability-adjusted life years. Despite the increasing burden of these diseases, the allocation of NIH funding to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) has remained low compared to other institutes. Interpretation: Despite the increasing health burden and economic cost of $980 billion annually, the allocation of NIH funding to the NIAMS has remained low compared to other institutes. These findings suggest that the NIH may need to reassess its allocation of research funding to align with the current health challenges of our country. Furthermore, these clinically relevant observations highlight the need to increase research funding for musculoskeletal diseases and improve their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Funding: No funding.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X23002351Musculoskeletal healthNIHResearch fundingBurden of diseaseYears lived with disabilityDisability-adjusted life years |
| spellingShingle | Andrew T. Nguyen Izzuddin M. Aris Brian D. Snyder Mitchel B. Harris James D. Kang Martha Murray Edward K. Rodriguez Ara Nazarian Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research fundingResearch in context The Lancet Regional Health. Americas Musculoskeletal health NIH Research funding Burden of disease Years lived with disability Disability-adjusted life years |
| title | Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research fundingResearch in context |
| title_full | Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research fundingResearch in context |
| title_fullStr | Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research fundingResearch in context |
| title_full_unstemmed | Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research fundingResearch in context |
| title_short | Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research fundingResearch in context |
| title_sort | musculoskeletal health an ecological study assessing disease burden and research fundingresearch in context |
| topic | Musculoskeletal health NIH Research funding Burden of disease Years lived with disability Disability-adjusted life years |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X23002351 |
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