Evaluation of Preferred Investment Models for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research

Commissioned by Arthritis Australia and building on three earlier Research Australia reports, this report evaluates options for a major national investment in arthritis and musculoskeletal (AMSK) research. It notes that AMSK conditions account for 12.7% of the total burden of disease and 9.03% of health system spending, yet have received 2.44% of MRFF research funding and 3.36% of NHMRC funding since 2015. The method combined a policy and research landscape review, a virtual consumer workshop attended by 12 consumers, a researcher and clinician workshop with semi-structured interviews, and a scan that identified eight potential investment models. Three preferred models, a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Mission, a Department of Health Centre of Excellence and an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence, were then assessed against six strategic pillars, a risk and opportunity feasibility analysis, and an independent cost-benefit analysis by HTAnalysts. Benefit per dollar invested was $4.66 for the Centre of Excellence, $4.61 for a $100,000,000, 10-year MRFF Mission and $4.15 for the Centre of Research Excellence. The MRFF Mission was the only model rated high across all six pillars, and all 19 participants in a consensus building workshop preferred it. The report sets out four potential Mission objectives and proposes a secondary research entity on gender responsive AMSK care, recognising that women are disproportionately affected.