Contributions
Abstract: P398
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - 9 Economic burden
Objective: Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) leave the workforce early due to their MS. Less is known about MS-related work productivity loss, including absenteeism and presenteeism. We aimed to quantify MS-related work productivity loss and examine factors associated with labour force participation and work productivity loss in people with MS.
Methods: Participants in the Australian MS Longitudinal Study (AMSLS) completed three surveys from December 2015 to July 2016. We included 1,471 respondents for the labour force participation analysis and 824 for the work productivity loss analysis. Total MS-related work productivity loss combined absenteeism (percentage of working time missed) with presenteeism (percentage of reduced productivity while working). Data were analysed using log-binomial and linear regression.
Results: Among those working, 20.2% reported any MS-related absenteeism, 53.3% any presenteeism, and 55.6% any total work productivity loss. The mean MS-related absenteeism, presenteeism and total work productivity loss were 3.4% (SD 10.9), 10.8% (SD 17.2) and 14.2% (SD 21.6). The annual cost of MS-related work productivity loss was 7,331 Australian dollars (AUD) per person with AUD$5,641 due to presenteeism and AUD$1,690 due to absenteeism. In multivariable analysis, older age, lower education level, and higher levels of “problems of walking, balance and spasticity” and “fatigue and cognitive symptoms” were associated with not being in the labour force. Factors associated with work productivity loss included “fatigue and cognitive symptoms”, “pain and sensory problems”, “problems of walking, balance and spasticity” as well as being self-employed.
Conclusions: The contribution of MS-related presenteeism to productivity loss is almost three times that of absenteeism. The strong dominance of symptom severity in multivariable models suggest that an improved management of symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive symptoms, problems of walking, balance and spasticity, pain and sensory problems is important for people with MS to work more productively and stay longer in the labour force.
Disclosure:
Jing Chen: nothing to disclose.
Bruce Taylor: nothing to disclose.
Ingrid van der Mei: nothing to disclose.
Abstract: P398
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - 9 Economic burden
Objective: Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) leave the workforce early due to their MS. Less is known about MS-related work productivity loss, including absenteeism and presenteeism. We aimed to quantify MS-related work productivity loss and examine factors associated with labour force participation and work productivity loss in people with MS.
Methods: Participants in the Australian MS Longitudinal Study (AMSLS) completed three surveys from December 2015 to July 2016. We included 1,471 respondents for the labour force participation analysis and 824 for the work productivity loss analysis. Total MS-related work productivity loss combined absenteeism (percentage of working time missed) with presenteeism (percentage of reduced productivity while working). Data were analysed using log-binomial and linear regression.
Results: Among those working, 20.2% reported any MS-related absenteeism, 53.3% any presenteeism, and 55.6% any total work productivity loss. The mean MS-related absenteeism, presenteeism and total work productivity loss were 3.4% (SD 10.9), 10.8% (SD 17.2) and 14.2% (SD 21.6). The annual cost of MS-related work productivity loss was 7,331 Australian dollars (AUD) per person with AUD$5,641 due to presenteeism and AUD$1,690 due to absenteeism. In multivariable analysis, older age, lower education level, and higher levels of “problems of walking, balance and spasticity” and “fatigue and cognitive symptoms” were associated with not being in the labour force. Factors associated with work productivity loss included “fatigue and cognitive symptoms”, “pain and sensory problems”, “problems of walking, balance and spasticity” as well as being self-employed.
Conclusions: The contribution of MS-related presenteeism to productivity loss is almost three times that of absenteeism. The strong dominance of symptom severity in multivariable models suggest that an improved management of symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive symptoms, problems of walking, balance and spasticity, pain and sensory problems is important for people with MS to work more productively and stay longer in the labour force.
Disclosure:
Jing Chen: nothing to disclose.
Bruce Taylor: nothing to disclose.
Ingrid van der Mei: nothing to disclose.