Annual costs over the 4-year follow-up by resource component.

1Physician visit costs used were the following: 28.27€ for rheumatologists, 28.61€ for internists, 22.13€ for general practitioners and 30.56€ for orthopaedist surgeons.2Health professional consultation costs used were the following: 11.30 € for nurses, 16.32 € for physiotherapists, 40.82 € for psychologists and 14.90 € for occupational therapists.3Lab test costs used were the following: 173.80 € for inclusion biologic investigations, 28.86 € for monthly biologic tests and 42.63 € for annual biologic tests.4Imaging and other devices costs included the following: 19.95 to 39.95 € for X-ray depending on the number of X-rays (19.95 € for the 1st X-ray, 39.95 € for the 2nd, 21.28 € for the 3rd, 20.00 € for the 4th), 69.00 € for MRI, 25.27 € for CT-scanner, 96.00 € for gastric endoscopy and 204.18 € for colonoscopy.5Transportation costs were calculated on the basis of a reimbursement fee of 1.17 € per km.6Inpatient costs were based on DRG tariffs.DMARD = Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.