Nearly 10% of U.S. Adults Sought Arthritis Treatment in 2005

Approximately 9.5% of noninstitutionalized American adults (18 years and older) either visited or called a doctor to get a prescription to reduce arthritis pain in 2005 (the latest year of available statistics on expenditure for ambulatory care and prescription medications to treat arthritis). Ambulatory care is another term for outpatient care.

Of those 21 million Americans, women sought treatment more often than men -- 12% to 7% respectively. There were ethnic differences too, according to the statistics released by AHRQ (the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. About 10.5% of whites, slightly under 10% of blacks, 6% of Hispanics, and 4% of Asians sought treatment for arthritis.

The amount spent on arthritis treatments -- which included doctor visits (36%), hospital care (31%), prescription drugs (21%), home health care (12%), and visits to the emergency room (under 1%) -- tallied approximately $32 billion. About one-third of arthritis-related expenditures were spent on ambulatory care.

Related Resources:

• How Is Arthritis Treated?
• First Visit to the Rheumatologist
• Arthritis Drugs - What Are My Options?
• Physical Therapy Goals for Arthritis Patients
• 25 Effective Treatments for Osteoarthritis

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