Benefits of fracture liaison services (FLS) in four Latin American countries: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina.

AIMS: Fracture liaison services (FLS) use a multidisciplinary approach to treat patients who have experienced an osteoporotic fracture to reduce the risk of subsequent fractures. To date, there has been minimal FLS implementation in Latin America where fractures continue to be undertreated. This study aims to estimate the number of fractures averted, bed days avoided, and costs saved resulting from universal FLS implementation in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A calculator was developed to estimate the annual benefits of FLS programs in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina from a public hospital perspective. It was assumed all patients with a hip, vertebral, or wrist fracture were referred to an FLS program. Country-specific data were obtained from a previous systematic review and interviews with osteoporosis experts. Hospitalization and post-hospitalization costs were expressed in 2019 USD without discounting. Costs of FLS implementation were not considered. RESULTS: In 2019, the number of FLS patients prevented from having a subsequent hip, vertebral, or wrist fracture was estimated as 15,607 in Brazil, 8,168 in Mexico, 5,190 in Argentina, and 2,435 in Colombia with total bed days saved of 142,378 in Brazil, 75,877 in Mexico, 52,301 in Argentina, and 21,725 in Colombia. The annual cost savings in 2019 were highest in Argentina (28.1 million USD), followed by Mexico (19.6 million USD), Brazil (7.64 million USD) and Colombia (3.04 million USD). Over five years (2019-2023) the cumulative cost savings were 145 million USD in Argentina, 106 million USD in Mexico, 40.5 million USD in Brazil, and 16.1 million USD in Colombia. CONCLUSION: Universal FLS implementation in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina was predicted to prevent 31,400 fractures, avoid 292,281 bed days, and save 58.4 million USD in 2019, though caution is warranted in the interpretation of these results due to high uncertainty. Increased implementation of FLS programs in Latin American countries may help to realize these benefits.

The burden of osteoporosis in Turkey: a scorecard and economic model.

The burden of osteoporosis in Turkey is not well characterized. Our results indicate that osteoporosis is undertreated in Turkey with 1.35 million fractures predicted to occur from 2019 to 2023 at an associated cost of 2.42 billion USD. Interventions are needed to close the treatment gap and minimize the economic burden. PURPOSE: The number of osteoporotic fractures is expected to increase as populations age, posing a major risk to health systems and patients. We created a scorecard summarizing the burden of disease, policy framework, service provision, and service uptake for osteoporosis in Turkey and estimated the economic burden of osteoporotic fractures in Turkey. METHODS: A systematic review of osteoporosis in Turkey was performed. Gaps in the literature were supplemented by surveys with osteoporosis experts. The findings were used to populate a scorecard and burden of illness model focused on adults aged 50 to 89 years in Turkey. The scorecard provided a visual representation of osteoporosis burden and management using a traffic light color coding system. The model quantified osteoporosis-related fracture costs (2019 USD) including hospitalizations, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry testing, hip fracture surgery, prescription drugs, and patient productivity losses. RESULTS: The scorecard showed that osteoporosis is undertreated in Turkey. Despite timely access to diagnosis, > 75% of high-risk patients fail to initiate on appropriate therapies. In 2019, the economic model predicted that 255,183 osteoporosis-related fractures would occur in Turkey with an associated annual cost of approximately 455 million USD and an average burden per 1000 at risk of 23,987 USD. The cumulative 5-year cost of 1,354,817 fractures was 2.42 billion USD. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 1.35 million fragility fractures are predicted to occur in Turkey during the next 5 years with costs of 2.42 billion USD. Closing the treatment gap will be imperative for preventing these fractures and minimizing the burden of osteoporosis in Turkey.

The burden of osteoporosis in Saudi Arabia: a scorecard and economic model.

Objectives: Aging populations are contributing to an increased volume of osteoporotic fractures. The goals of this study were to (1) develop a scorecard on epidemiological burden, policy framework, service provision, and service uptake for osteoporosis in Saudi Arabia and (2) estimate the direct costs of managing osteoporotic fractures in Saudi Arabia.Methods: Osteoporosis data specific to Saudi Arabia were collected through a systematic literature review and surveys with osteoporosis experts. The data were used to build a scorecard, as done previously for the European Union and select Latin American countries. The scorecard applied traffic light colour coding to identify areas of risk in Saudi Arabia's management of osteoporosis. The data were also used to parameterize a burden of illness model. The model estimated the direct medical costs of fractures among adults aged 50-89 years in Saudi Arabia. The model included hospitalization, testing, hip fracture surgery, and drug costs.Results: In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health was aware of impending increases in the number of fractures and had prioritized osteoporosis on the national agenda. Accordingly, reimbursement restrictions for osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment were minimal. However, a national fracture registry and unified system for monitoring care were not in operation. This represents a critical gap in care that will continue to contribute to the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of osteoporosis if not addressed. In total, 174,225 osteoporosis-related fractures were estimated to occur in Saudi Arabia in 2019, with an annual cost of SR2.38 billion ($636 million USD; $1.55 billion PPP). Hospitalization was the primary cost driver.Conclusions: In 2019, Saudi Arabia was expected to incur SR2.38 billion ($636 million USD; $1.55 billion PPP) in costs owing to 174,225 osteoporosis-related fractures. The establishment of a national fracture registry and implementation of fracture liaison services will be paramount to reducing the fracture burden.

A scorecard for osteoporosis in four Latin American countries: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina.

The state of osteoporosis care in Latin America is not well known. The results of our scorecard indicate an urgent need to improve policy frameworks, service provision, and service uptake for osteoporosis in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. The scorecard serves as an important marker to measure future progress. PURPOSE: We developed a scorecard to summarize key indicators of the burden of osteoporosis and its management in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. The goal of the scorecard is to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures by promoting healthcare policies that will improve patient access to timely diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of osteoporosis. We also interviewed several key opinion leaders to gather information on government policy, access to fracture risk assessments, and access to medications. We then leveraged a peer-reviewed template, initially applied to 27 European countries, to synthesize the information into a scorecard for Latin America. We presented information according to four main categories: burden of disease, policy framework, service provision, and service uptake and used a traffic light color coding system to indicate high, intermediate, and low risk. RESULTS: The systematic review included 108 references, of which 49 were specific to Brazil. The number of osteoporotic fractures in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina was forecasted to increase substantially (34% to 76% in each country) from 2015 to 2030. In general, policy frameworks, service provision, and service uptake were not structured to support current patients with osteoporosis and did not account for the future increases in fracture burden. Across all four countries, there was inadequate access to programs for secondary fracture prevention and only a small minority of patients received treatment for osteoporosis. CONCLUSIONS: Osteoporosis management, including the rate of post-fracture care, is very poor in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina and needs to be strengthened. Improvements in the rates of care are necessary to curb the debilitating impact of osteoporotic fractures on patients and health systems.

The burden of osteoporosis in four Latin American countries: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina.

Objective: Osteoporosis is under-diagnosed and under-treated worldwide. Information on the burden of osteoporosis in Latin American countries is limited. This study aimed to estimate the economic burden of osteoporosis in adults aged 50-89 years in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. Methods: Analyses were conducted using a burden of illness model. Where possible, country-specific model inputs were informed by a systematic review and expert opinion. Osteoporosis-related fracture costs were calculated for hospitalizations, testing, surgeries, prescription drugs, and patient productivity losses. Costs were expressed in 2018 USD for the annual burden, annual burden per 1,000 at risk, and projected 5-year burden. No discounting was applied. Results: Over 840,000 osteoporosis-related fractures were predicted to occur in 2018, amounting to a total annual cost of ∼1.17 billion USD. The total projected 5-year cost was ∼6.25 billion USD. Annual costs were highest in Mexico (411 million USD), followed by Argentina (360 million USD), Brazil (310 million USD), and Colombia (94 million USD). The average burden per 1,000 at risk was greatest in Argentina (32,583 USD), followed by Mexico (16,671 USD), Colombia (8,240 USD), and Brazil (6,130 USD). Conclusions: Over the next 5 years, ∼4,485,352 fractures are anticipated to occur in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. To control and prevent these fractures, stakeholders must work together to close the care gap. Efforts to identify individuals at high fracture risk, initiate treatment, and improve long-term treatment persistence will be essential in minimizing the financial and patient burden of osteoporosis in Latin America.

Association Between High Environmental Heat and Risk of Acute Kidney Injury Among Older Adults in a Northern Climate: A Matched Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: An association between high heat and acute kidney injury (AKI) has been reported in warm climates. However, whether this association generalizes to a northern climate, with more variable temperatures, is unknown. STUDY DESIGN: Matched case-control study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Our study focused on older adults (mean age, 80 years) in the northern climate of Ontario, Canada. 52,913 case patients who had a hospital encounter with AKI in April through September 2005 to 2012 were matched with 174,222 controls for exact date, age, sex, rural residence, income, and history of chronic kidney disease. PREDICTOR: Heat periods were defined as 3 consecutive days exceeding the 95th percentile of area-specific maximum temperature. OUTCOMES: Hospital encounter (inpatient admission or emergency department visit) with a diagnosis of AKI. MEASUREMENTS: ORs (95% CIs) were used to assess the association between heat periods and AKI. To quantify the effect in absolute terms, we multiplied the population incidence rate of AKI in the absence of heat periods by our adjusted OR (an approximate of relative risk). RESULTS: Heat periods were significantly associated with higher risk for AKI (adjusted OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00-1.23). Heat periods in absolute terms were associated with an additional 182 cases of AKI per 100,000 person-years during the warm season. LIMITATIONS: We did not know how long persons were outside or if they had access to air conditioning. CONCLUSIONS: In a northern climate, periods of higher environmental heat were associated with a modestly higher risk for hospital encounter with AKI among older adults.

Positive Predictive Values of International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision Coding Algorithms to Identify Patients With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes (ICD-10) for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is used within several administrative health care databases. It is unknown whether these codes identify patients who meet strict clinical criteria for ADPKD. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is (1) to determine whether different ICD-10 coding algorithms identify adult patients who meet strict clinical criteria for ADPKD as assessed through medical chart review and (2) to assess the number of patients identified with different ADPKD coding algorithms in Ontario. DESIGN: Validation study of health care database codes, and prevalence. SETTING: Ontario, Canada. PATIENTS: For the chart review, 201 adult patients with hospital encounters between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2014, assigned either ICD-10 codes Q61.2 or Q61.3. MEASUREMENTS: This study measured positive predictive value of the ICD-10 coding algorithms and the number of Ontarians identified with different coding algorithms. METHODS: We manually reviewed a random sample of medical charts in London, Ontario, Canada, and determined whether or not ADPKD was present according to strict clinical criteria. RESULTS: The presence of either ICD-10 code Q61.2 or Q61.3 in a hospital encounter had a positive predictive value of 85% (95% confidence interval [CI], 79%-89%) and identified 2981 Ontarians (0.02% of the Ontario adult population). The presence of ICD-10 code Q61.2 in a hospital encounter had a positive predictive value of 97% (95% CI, 86%-100%) and identified 394 adults in Ontario (0.003% of the Ontario adult population). LIMITATIONS: (1) We could not calculate other measures of validity; (2) the coding algorithms do not identify patients without hospital encounters; and (3) coding practices may differ between hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with ICD-10 code Q61.2 or Q61.3 assigned during their hospital encounters have ADPKD according to the clinical criteria. These codes can be used to assemble cohorts of adult patients with ADPKD and hospital encounters.

MISE EN CONTEXTE: La 10e révision des codes de l'International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) est utilisée dans plusieurs bases de données administratives des centres de soins pour le classement de la maladie polykystique autosomique dominante (MPR). On ignore toutefois si ces codes permettent d'identifier clairement les patients qui satisfont les critères cliniques stricts de la maladie. OBJECTIFS DE L'ÉTUDE: 1) Déterminer si les différents algorithmes de codage de la ICD-10 réussissent à identifier de manière efficace les patients adultes satisfaisant les critères cliniques stricts de la MPR tels qu'évalués par la consultation des dossiers médicaux; 2) Évaluer le nombre de patients qui sont identifiés par les différents algorithmes de codage pour la MPR, en Ontario. CADRE ET TYPE D'ÉTUDE: Il s'agit d'une étude de validation des codes de classification obtenus dans les bases de données des centres de soins de l'Ontario, au Canada, ainsi que de leur prévalence. PATIENTS: On a révisé les dossiers médicaux de 201 patients adultes ayant reçu une consultation en centre hospitalier entre le 1er avril 2002 et le 31 mars 2014, et à qui les codes ICD-10 Q61.2 ou Q61.3 pour la MPR ont été assignés. MESURES: Les valeurs prédictives positives des algorithmes de codage ICD-10 ainsi que le nombre d'Ontariens identifiés comme patients atteints de MPR par les différents algorithmes de codage ont été retenus pour l'étude. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Un échantillon aléatoire de dossiers médicaux en provenance de London, en Ontario (Canada) a été révisé manuellement afin de déterminer lesquels indiquaient la présence d'une MPR selon les critères cliniques stricts pour cette maladie. RÉSULTATS: La présence des codes ICD-10 Q61.2 ou Q61.3 lors d'une consultation à l'hôpital a eu une valeur prédictive positive dans 85% des cas (IC 95%: 79 à 89%), et a permis l'identification d'un total de 2 981 patients ontariens (0,02% de la population adulte en Ontario). Le codage ICD-10 Q61.2 à lui seul a eu une valeur prédictive positive dans 97% des cas (IC 95%: 86 à 100%) et a permis l'identification de 394 patients (0,003% de la population adulte en Ontario). LIMITES DE L'ÉTUDE: 1) Nous n'avons pu calculer aucune autre mesure de validité; 2) Les algorithmes de codage n'identifient pas les patients s'ils ne sont pas en consultation en centre hospitalier; 3) Les pratiques de codage peuvent varier d'un hôpital à un autre. CONCLUSIONS: La majorité des patients codés ICD-10 Q61.2 ou Q61.3 à la suite d'une consultation en centre hospitalier était atteinte de maladie polykystique autosomique dominante selon les critères cliniques stricts pour cette maladie. Ainsi, cette codification peut être utilisée pour jumeler des cohortes de patients adultes atteints de MPR avec leurs consultations en hôpital.