Costs induced by hip fractures: A prospective controlled study in Belgium

The economic burden of hip fractures is thought to be important, but the ex cess medical costs they induce remain largely unknown. We assessed the dire ct medical costs induced by hip fractures during and after hospitalization. Hospital costs of 170 consecutive Belgian women with hip fracture were gat hered. During the year following discharge, all medical costs were collecte d for the 159 hip fracture women who survived the acute hospitalization sta y. 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 mea n cost of the acute hospital stay was C8667, and the mean 1-year hip-fractu re-related extra costs after hospitalization was C6636. During the year fol lowing 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). Althoug h health care costs increased with age, hip-fracture-related extra costs af ter hospitalization seemed similar in those below or above 81 years old. Th ese extra costs amounted to C7710 in women not living in nursing homes at t he time of fracture, and to C3479 in women who lived in nursing homes. Heal th or mental status before hip fracture seemed not to affect extra costs. T aking into account the higher mortality of women with hip fracture, the ext ra costs during the acute hospital stay and during the 1-year follow-up amo unted to a mean C15151. In conclusion, both acute hospital stays and subseq uent medical care contribute significantly to medical costs induced by hip fractures.