{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7224844793","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","title":"Health care utilization and costs of patients with ME/CFS in Norway, a retrospective registry study","display_name":"Health care utilization and costs of patients with ME/CFS in Norway, a retrospective registry study","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-10-30","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7224844793","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S12898181","display_name":"BMC Health Services Research","issn_l":"1472-6963","issn":["1472-6963"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","doaj","dongbi-b","doyens","fnege-4","jufo-2","ki-jl-1","medline","norway-1","oarl","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320256","host_organization_name":"BioMed Central","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320256","https://openalex.org/P4310319965"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["BioMed Central","Springer Nature"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"BMC Health Services Research","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","doaj"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5038615357","display_name":"Kjartan Sarheim Anthun","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2142-2742","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2142-2742"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I173888879","display_name":"SINTEF","ror":"https://ror.org/01f677e56","country_code":"NO","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I173888879"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I204778367","display_name":"Norwegian University of Science and Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/05xg72x27","country_code":"NO","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I204778367"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4387930215","display_name":"SINTEF Digital","ror":"https://ror.org/028m52w57","country_code":"NO","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I173888879","https://openalex.org/I4387930215"]}],"countries":["NO"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Kjartan Sarheim Anthun","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department for Health Research, SINTEF Digital, Trondheim, Norway","Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2142-2742","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department for Health Research, SINTEF Digital, Trondheim, Norway","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I173888879","https://openalex.org/I4387930215"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I204778367"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5103018007","display_name":"Thomas Halvorsen","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8254-5316","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8254-5316"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I173888879","display_name":"SINTEF","ror":"https://ror.org/01f677e56","country_code":"NO","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I173888879"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I204778367","display_name":"Norwegian University of Science and Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/05xg72x27","country_code":"NO","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I204778367"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4387930215","display_name":"SINTEF Digital","ror":"https://ror.org/028m52w57","country_code":"NO","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I173888879","https://openalex.org/I4387930215"]}],"countries":["NO"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Thomas Halvorsen","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department for Health Research, SINTEF Digital, Trondheim, Norway","Department of Geography, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department for Health Research, SINTEF Digital, Trondheim, Norway","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I173888879","https://openalex.org/I4387930215"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Geography, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I204778367"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5048105601","display_name":"Line Maria Haugen Melby","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4507-0198","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4507-0198"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I173888879","display_name":"SINTEF","ror":"https://ror.org/01f677e56","country_code":"NO","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I173888879"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210105718","display_name":"Trondheim Kommune","ror":"https://ror.org/01gjtys23","country_code":"NO","type":"government","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210105718"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4387930215","display_name":"SINTEF Digital","ror":"https://ror.org/028m52w57","country_code":"NO","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I173888879","https://openalex.org/I4387930215"]}],"countries":["NO"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Line Melby","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department for Health Research, SINTEF Digital, Trondheim, Norway","Trondheim Municipality, Trondheim, Norway"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department for Health Research, SINTEF Digital, Trondheim, Norway","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I173888879","https://openalex.org/I4387930215"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Trondheim Municipality, Trondheim, Norway","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210105718"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":4,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5038615357"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I173888879","https://openalex.org/I204778367","https://openalex.org/I4387930215"],"apc_list":{"value":3290,"currency":"USD","value_usd":3290},"apc_paid":{"value":3290,"currency":"USD","value_usd":3290},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.85111405,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11282","display_name":"Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research","score":0.9911999702453613,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2738","display_name":"Psychiatry and Mental health"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11282","display_name":"Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research","score":0.9911999702453613,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2738","display_name":"Psychiatry and Mental health"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11368","display_name":"Long-Term Effects of COVID-19","score":0.001500000013038516,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2728","display_name":"Clinical Neurology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10804","display_name":"Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life","score":0.001500000013038516,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2002","display_name":"Economics and Econometrics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/20","display_name":"Economics, Econometrics and Finance"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/chronic-fatigue-syndrome","display_name":"chronic fatigue syndrome","score":0.9539999961853027},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/health-care-utilization","display_name":"health care utilization","score":0.9940000176429749},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/health-care-costs","display_name":"health care costs","score":0.9940000176429749},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/hospitalization-costs","display_name":"hospital costs","score":0.7760000228881836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/general-practitioner-contact","display_name":"general practitioner contact","score":0.6769999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/primary-care","display_name":"primary care","score":0.6990000009536743},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/comorbidity","display_name":"comorbidities","score":0.8669999837875366},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/lyme-disease","display_name":"Lyme disease","score":0.8180000185966492},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/fibromyalgia","display_name":"fibromyalgia","score":0.9409999847412109},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/norway","display_name":"Norway","score":0.39399999380111694}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C71924100","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11190","display_name":"Medicine","level":0,"score":0.9265999794006348},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137992405","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1137608","display_name":"Health administration","level":3,"score":0.6937000155448914},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C160735492","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q31207","display_name":"Health care","level":2,"score":0.6895999908447266},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C518773536","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q918533","display_name":"Nursing research","level":2,"score":0.6633999943733215},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C145642194","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q870895","display_name":"Health informatics","level":3,"score":0.6492000222206116},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C63428231","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9043","display_name":"Norwegian","level":2,"score":0.4909000098705292},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138816342","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189603","display_name":"Public health","level":2,"score":0.48559999465942383},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780877353","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2518253","display_name":"Health services research","level":3,"score":0.4810999929904938},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2908647359","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2625603","display_name":"Population","level":2,"score":0.4722000062465668},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C512399662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3505712","display_name":"Family medicine","level":1,"score":0.4578000009059906},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C194828623","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2861470","display_name":"Emergency medicine","level":1,"score":0.42989999055862427},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779473830","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1540899","display_name":"MEDLINE","level":2,"score":0.3928999900817871},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C524218345","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q31218","display_name":"Health economics","level":3,"score":0.39100000262260437},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39896193","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380344","display_name":"Descriptive statistics","level":2,"score":0.35100001096725464},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778149918","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3291156","display_name":"Population health","level":3,"score":0.3353999853134155},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124306116","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2512965","display_name":"Ambulatory care","level":3,"score":0.3212999999523163},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C145097563","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1148747","display_name":"Payment","level":2,"score":0.319599986076355},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C167135981","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2146302","display_name":"Retrospective cohort study","level":2,"score":0.31700000166893005},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C182299520","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1289588","display_name":"Total cost","level":2,"score":0.3059000074863434},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C545542383","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2751242","display_name":"Medical emergency","level":1,"score":0.2957000136375427},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C47344431","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1519812","display_name":"Health policy","level":3,"score":0.26739999651908875}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S12898181","display_name":"BMC Health Services Research","issn_l":"1472-6963","issn":["1472-6963"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","doaj","dongbi-b","doyens","fnege-4","jufo-2","ki-jl-1","medline","norway-1","oarl","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320256","host_organization_name":"BioMed Central","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320256","https://openalex.org/P4310319965"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["BioMed Central","Springer Nature"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"BMC Health Services Research","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-16008-6","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S12898181","display_name":"BMC Health Services Research","issn_l":"1472-6963","issn":["1472-6963"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","doaj","dongbi-b","doyens","fnege-4","jufo-2","ki-jl-1","medline","norway-1","oarl","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320256","host_organization_name":"BioMed Central","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320256","https://openalex.org/P4310319965"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["BioMed Central","Springer Nature"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"BMC Health Services Research","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/3","display_name":"Good health and well-being","score":1.0}],"study_designs":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/study-designs/observational-study","display_name":"Observational Study"}],"awards":[],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4358338572","display_name":"SINTEF Industri","ror":"https://ror.org/0422tvz87"}],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W3081274363","https://openalex.org/W4205683907","https://openalex.org/W2160432928","https://openalex.org/W6991421673","https://openalex.org/W2945266851","https://openalex.org/W3108706526","https://openalex.org/W2008404851","https://openalex.org/W2759148818","https://openalex.org/W2611135910","https://openalex.org/W4414426327"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Abstract":[0],"Background":[1],"Myalgic":[2],"encephalomyelitis/chronic":[3],"fatigue":[4],"syndrome":[5],"(ME/CFS)":[6],"is":[7,31,242,257],"a":[8,70,107,186],"complex":[9],"chronic":[10],"illness":[11],"without":[12],"any":[13],"known":[14,32],"cause":[15],"or":[16,121],"treatment.":[17],"Diagnostic":[18],"processes":[19],"are":[20],"typically":[21],"long,":[22],"and":[23,39,47,55,93,99,113,136,153,166,225],"with":[24,51,116,172,197,218,253],"no":[25,238],"established":[26],"treatment":[27,240],"option":[28,241],"available,":[29],"little":[30],"about":[33],"patients\u2019":[34],"total":[35,127],"health":[36,44,85,95,175,276],"care":[37,45,86,96,138,160,176,193,223,265,277],"utilization":[38,46,139],"costs.":[40,169],"This":[41],"study":[42,74],"analyses":[43],"costs":[48,131,194,215,226],"among":[49,195,216,251],"patients":[50,114,196,217,252],"ME/CFS":[52,173,198],"in":[53,63,205,281],"Norway":[54],"examines":[56],"whether":[57,261],"they":[58],"differ":[59],"from":[60,79,101,132],"those":[61,203],"observed":[62,204],"selected":[64],"comparison":[65],"groups.":[66],"Methods":[67,162],"We":[68],"conducted":[69],"retrospective,":[71],"population-based":[72],"registry":[73],"using":[75],"linked":[76,100],"individual-level":[77],"data":[78],"Norwegian":[80],"national":[81,102,154],"registries.":[82,103],"Information":[83],"on":[84,143],"utilization,":[87],"including":[88],"hospital":[89,128,231],"treatments,":[90,232],"GP":[91,144,152],"contacts":[92],"primary":[94,137,159],"was":[97],"collected":[98],"Comparison":[104],"groups":[105],"included":[106,163],"random":[108,187,207],"sample":[109,188],"of":[110,148,168,189,263,274],"the":[111,190,206,214,235,275],"population":[112,208],"diagnosed":[115],"Lyme":[117],"disease,":[118],"breast":[119,219],"cancer":[120],"fibromyalgia.":[122],"Costs":[123],"were":[124,140,199,211,227],"measured":[125],"as":[126],"costs,":[129],"while":[130,233],"general":[133],"practitioners":[134],"(GP)":[135],"estimated":[141,146],"based":[142],"tariff,":[145],"out":[147],"pocket":[149],"payment":[150],"to":[151,249,259],"averages":[155],"for":[156,230],"each":[157],"provided":[158,268],"service.":[161],"descriptive":[164],"statistics":[165],"regression":[167],"Results":[170],"Patients":[171],"utilize":[174],"services":[177],"less":[178],"than":[179,185,213,280],"other":[180,272],"comparable":[181],"diagnoses,":[182],"but":[183,210],"more":[184,269],"population.":[191],"Health":[192,222],"almost":[200],"three":[201],"times":[202],"sample,":[209],"lower":[212],"cancer.":[220],"Conclusions":[221],"use":[224],"particularly":[228],"high":[229],"at":[234,271],"same":[236],"time":[237],"clear":[239],"available.":[243],"Greater":[244],"attention":[245],"should":[246],"be":[247,267],"paid":[248],"comorbidities":[250],"ME/CFS.":[254],"Further":[255],"research":[256],"needed":[258],"determine":[260],"some":[262],"their":[264],"could":[266],"appropriately":[270],"levels":[273],"system":[278],"rather":[279],"hospitals.":[282]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-11-04T10:54:05.112534","created_date":"2026-10-31T00:00:00"}
