Background and Aims: Osteoarthritis (OA) represents an increasing societal problem with pain and activity limitation leading to significant economic burden on healthcare services. This study aims to understand the pattern of healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) across France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK (EU 5), as OA severity increases.
Methods: Data were drawn from the Adelphi OA Disease Specific Programme (2017-18), a point-in-time study of physicians and their OA patients in the EU 5. OA disease severity was reported by physicians, who categorised patients as mild, moderate or severe. Physicians provided information about OA-related visits to healthcare professionals (HCPs), tests/scans conducted, emergency room (ER) visits and surgeries. Descriptive statistics were reported. 
Results: The study included 4113 patients with OA: 25% mild (n=1035), 53% moderate (n=2197) and 21% severe (n=881). Over the last 12 months, mean number of consultations with HCPs increased with disease severity (3.7 mild, 4.1 moderate and 5.8 severe). This pattern was also observed in relation to the mean number tests/scans conducted in the last 12 months (7.4 mild, 8.3 moderate and 9.9 severe), the proportion of patients that visited the ER in the last 12 months (4%, 9% and 26% for mild, moderate and severe, respectively) and the proportion of patients that have had a surgery due to their OA (10%, 12% and 26% for mild, moderate and severe, respectively).
Conclusions: This real-world data demonstrates increased HCRU as OA disease severity increases. Novel therapies that improve OA symptom management may lead to significant resource savings.

THE IMPACT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS DISEASE SEVERITY ON CURRENT HEALTHCARE RESOURCE UTILISATION IN THE EU - RESULTS FROM A REAL-WORLD STUDY