Economic burden and the effects of early versus delayed hospitalization on the treatment cost of patients with acute fragility hip fractures under the UPM-PGH Orthogeriatric Multidisciplinary Fracture Management Model and Fracture Liaison Service

Abstract

Objectives: Fragility hip fractures present not only as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality to the elderly population but also as an important source of financial burden due to staggering costs for treatment. This study is designed to determine the effects of timing of hospitalization to the treatment costs of patients with acute fragility hip fractures.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the patient database of the University of the Philippines Manila-Philippine General Hospital Orthogeriatric Multidisciplinary Fracture Management Model and Fracture Liaison Service was reviewed to investigate the effects of timing of hospitalization to the treatment cost of patients with acute fragility hip fractures admitted in a tertiary government hospital. The economic burden of this group of patients was also computed.

Results: A total of 118 patients were enrolled in the study with 54 patients in the early hospitalization (EH) group (≤ 3 days from injury) and 64 in the delayed hospitalization (DH) group (4-28 days). Median treatment cost is less among the EH group than those who were in the DH group (P = 0.0362). The computed economic burden of patients with acute fragility hip fractures is PhP 1,094,048,363.00 (USD 22,595,007.79) per year in the Philippines.

Conclusions: Fragility hip fractures impose significant financial impact; and therefore, recommend early hospitalization to lessen treatment cost. Future studies should also be undertaken to investigate other interventions that may help alleviate this burden.

Keywords: Economic burden; Fragility hip fractures; Orthogeriatrics.