Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: People with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions often have chronic comorbidities, resulting in significant healthcare costs. This study aimed to evaluate the economic impact of a digital MSK program on healthcare spending among participants with MSK conditions and comorbidities, including hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes.
METHODS: An observational study was conducted using commercial medical claims data representing over 100 million lives continuously enrolled in a commercial health plan from January, 2020 through October, 2022. Digital MSK program participants were propensity score-matched to non-participants with similar demographics, comorbidities, and baseline MSK-related medical care utilization and costs. Healthcare costs over 12 months post-participation were compared between the two groups. Statistical analyses were conducted using chi-square tests for categorical variables and t-tests for continuous variables.
RESULTS: A total of (n=11,846) participants and matched non-participants were included in the analysis. Across all comorbidities, digital MSK participants had significantly lower MSK-specific and total medical spending compared to non-participants. On average, MSK-related spending was $2,230 lower for digital MSK participants, with reductions of $2,256 for hypertension, $1,945 for heart disease, and $2,488 for diabetes (all p < 0.0001). Approximately, 75% of these cost reductions were observed for decreased spending on surgeries, procedures, and injections. Similarly, total medical costs were $2,867 lower on average, including $2,553 for hypertension, $2,525 for heart disease, and $3,523 for diabetes (all p < 0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS: Participation in a digital MSK program was associated with significant reductions in MSK-related and overall healthcare spending across key chronic comorbidities. These findings suggest that digital health interventions can provide substantial value by lowering costs for complex patient populations.