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Cost of hospitalisation for hip fracture- findings from the Irish hip fracture database.

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posted on 2022-01-28, 09:56 authored by Helena Ferris, Louise BrentLouise Brent, Jan SorensenJan Sorensen
The authors utilised the Irish Hip Fracture Database (IHFD) to quantify the impact of hip fracture on the health service in terms of incidence, bed days and financial costs. The absolute number of hip fracture cases recorded by the IHFD has increased, as has the associated costs of hospitalisation.
Introduction: Hip fracture places a considerable clinical and financial burden on the healthcare system, with acute hospitalisation accounting for a substantial proportion of the costs incurred. This paper aimed to quantify the cost of hospitalisation for hip fracture in Ireland in terms of bed days and direct hospital costs.
Methods: The authors analysed 23,494 cases in the Irish Hip Fracture Database (IHFD) from 2014 to 2020. Case numbers and length of stay were analysed annually. Hospital costs for hip fracture were described using the 2020 Activity-Based Funding Price List, which outlines the fees paid to public hospitals for inpatient activity.
Results: For the time period 2014-2020, the total cost of hospitalisation for hip fracture was approximately €296 million, equating to approximately €11,700 per episode of care. The annual cost of hospitalisation increased from approximately €34 million in 2014 to €44 million in 2020. In 2020, the mean length of stay for hip fracture was 17 days accounting for > 62,600 acute hospital bed days.
Conclusion: The absolute number of hip fracture cases recorded by the IHFD has increased, as has the cost of hospitalisation. Given the current capacity issues and economic constraints, there is a growing need to prioritise time spent in the most expensive acute hospital setting to the immediate perioperative period and maximise the use of community services and early supportive discharge for the rehabilitation phase.

History

Comments

This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00198-021-06294-7

Published Citation

Ferris H, Brent L, Sorensen J. Cost of hospitalisation for hip fracture-findings from the Irish hip fracture database. Osteoporos Int. 2022 :1–9. doi: 10.1007/s00198-021-06294-7.

Publication Date

11 January 2022

PubMed ID

35015086

Department/Unit

  • National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA)
  • Health Outcomes Research Centre

Publisher

Springer Nature

Version

  • Accepted Version (Postprint)