Table 1 Outcome (dependent variables) - healthcare contacts and healthcare-related costs

Number of musculoskeletal healthcare contacts (MSK-contacts):

NPR

1) Counts of in- and out-patient hospital contacts and emergency department contacts registered with a primary or secondary musculoskeletal or pain-related ICD-10 diagnostic code. Every inpatient admission day counted as one contact. See Appendix A (Additional file 1). for more detail.

NHSR

2) Counts of face-to-face primary care consultations with physiotherapists, chiropractors and musculoskeletal medical specialists. Excluded in this category was fully publicly reimbursed encounters with physiotherapists for non-musculoskeletal diagnoses.

NHSR

3) Counts of face-to-face GP contact where the clinical tests, examination, coding and subsequent healthcare initiatives indicated a musculoskeletal reason for that consultation. For this purpose, a simple algorithm was developed. The algorithm evaluated each face-to-face GP contact in two steps and built on available information from all health registers. For a more detailed description, see Appendix B (Additional file 2) for more detail. Validation of this algorithm is pending.

Rehab-register

4) Counts of face-to-face municipality musculoskeletal rehabilitation visits indicated by a prior musculoskeletal hospital in- or out-patient contact.

Number of healthcare contacts for any reason (All-contacts):

NPR

1) Counts of all in- and out-patient hospital contacts and emergency department contacts without regard for ICD-10 diagnostic codes. Each inpatient admission day counted as one contact. Derived from the NPR.

NHSR

2) Counts of all face-to-face primary care physiotherapy, chiropractic, podiatrist/chiropodist, psychologist, dentist and medical specialist consultations.

NHSR

3) Counts of all face-to-face GP consultations.

Rehab-register

4) Counts of all municipality rehabilitation consultations.

Costs related to all healthcare contacts (All-costs):

DRG/NPR

1) DRG-cost from all in- and out-patient hospital contacts and emergency department contacts.

NHSR

2) Public expenditure for all primary care physiotherapy, chiropractic, podiatrists/chiropodist, psychologist, dentist, GP and medical specialist consultations.

Rehab-register

3) Calculated expense based on salary and other operating costs for all municipality rehabilitation settings.