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Costs induced by hip fractures: a prospective controlled study in Belgium. Belgian Hip Fracture Study Group
P Autier1, P Haentjens, J Bentin
1Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. philippe.autier@ieo.it
Insights
Hip fractures incur significant medical costs, with acute hospital stays averaging 8,667 Belgian francs and 1-year post-discharge costs around 6,636 Belgian francs. Total excess costs for hip fracture patients reach 15,151 Belgian francs.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Health Economics
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Hip fractures represent a substantial health concern, particularly among the elderly.
- The precise economic impact, specifically direct medical costs, associated with hip fractures is not well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the direct medical costs incurred during hospitalization for hip fractures.
- To assess the excess medical expenditures in the year following hospital discharge for hip fracture patients.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 170 Belgian women with hip fractures was studied.
- Medical costs during acute hospitalization and for 1 year post-discharge were collected.
- A matched comparison group of 159 women without hip fractures was used for cost comparison.
Main Results:
- The mean acute hospital stay cost was 8,667 Belgian francs.
- Mean 1-year excess medical costs post-hospitalization were 6,636 Belgian francs.
- Hip fracture patients had significantly higher nursing home admission rates (19% vs. 4%) and total excess costs of 15,151 Belgian francs over the year.
Conclusions:
- Both acute hospitalization and subsequent medical care significantly contribute to the overall economic burden of hip fractures.
- The findings highlight the substantial direct medical costs associated with hip fractures, emphasizing the need for preventative and management strategies.
Abstract:
The economic burden of hip fractures is thought to be important, but the excess medical costs they induce remain largely unknown. We assessed the direct medical costs induced by hip fractures during and after hospitalization. Hospital costs of 170 consecutive Belgian women with hip fracture were gathered. During the year following discharge, all medical costs were collected for the 159 hip fracture women who survived the acute hospitalization stay. A similar collection of data was performed on a comparison group of 159 age-and residence-matched women without a history of hip fracture. The mean cost of the acute hospital stay was 8,667 Belgian francs and the mean 1-year hip-fracture-related extra costs after hospitalization was 6,636 Belgian francs. During the year following the acute hospital stay, 19% of the hip fracture women and 4% of the comparison women were newly admitted to nursing homes (p<0.001). Although health care costs increased with age, hip-fracture-related extra costs after hospitalization seemed similar in those below or above 81 years old. These extra costs amounted to 7,710 Belgian francs in women not living in nursing homes at the time of fracture, and to 3,479 Belgian francs in women who lived in nursing homes. Health or mental status before hip fracture seemed not to affect extra costs. Taking into account the higher mortality of women with hip fracture, the extra costs during the acute hospital stay and during the 1-year follow-up amounted to a mean 15,151 Belgian francs. In conclusion, both acute hospital stays and subsequent medical care contribute significantly to medical costs induced by hip fractures.