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Objective: This study aimed to provide population based trends in incidence rate, hospital length of stay (HLOS), trauma mechanism, and costs for healthcare and lost productivity of subtrochanteric femur fractures in the Netherlands., Methods: Data on patients with subtrochanteric femur fractures sustained between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2019 were extracted from the National Medical Registration of the Dutch Hospital Database. Incidence rates, HLOS, health care and productivity costs were calculated in sex- and age-specific groups., Results: A total of 14,399 patients sustained a subtrochanteric fracture in the 20-year study period. Incidence rates in the entire population dropped by 15.5 % from 4.5 to 3.8 per 100,000 person years (py). This decline was larger in women (6.4 to 5.2 per 100,000 py, -19.8 %) than in men (2.6 to 2.5 per 100,000 py, -4.0 %). HLOS declined by 62.5 % from a mean of 21.6 days in 2000-2004 to 8.1 days in 2015-2019. Subtrochanteric fractures were associated with total annual costs of €15.5 M, of which 91 % (€14.1 M) were health care costs and €1.3 M were costs due to lost productivity. Mean healthcare costs per case were lower in men (€16,394) than in women (€23,154)., Conclusion: The incidence rates and HLOS of subtrochanteric fractures in the Netherlands have decreased in the 2000-2019 study period and subtrochanteric fractures are associated with a relatively small total annual cost of €15.5 M. Increasing incidence rates and a bimodal age distribution, described in previous studies from other European countries, were not found in the Dutch population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Miliaan L. Zeelenberg, Esther M.M. Van Lieshout, Suzanne Polinder, Martien J. M. Panneman, Michael H. J. Verhofstad, and Dennis Den Hartog declare they did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work and have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Population-based knowledge on the occurrence of femoral shaft fractures is necessary for allocation of health care services, optimization of preventive measures, and research purposes. This nationwide study aimed to provide an overview on the incidence of femoral shaft fractures over a 15-year period and to gain insight into health care consumption and work absence with associated costs in the Dutch population., Methods: Data of patients who sustained an acute femoral shaft fracture in the years 2005-2019 were extracted from the National Medical Registration of the Dutch Hospital Database. The incidence rate, hospital length of stay (HLOS), direct medical costs, productivity costs, and years lived with disability were calculated for age- and gender specific groups., Results: A total of 15,847 patients with a femoral shaft fracture were included. The incidence rate increased with 13 % over this 15-year period (5.71/100,000 persons per year in 2005 and 6.47/100,000 in 2019). The mean HLOS per patient was 13.8 days in 2005-2009 versus 8.4 days in 2015-2019 for the entire group. Mean HLOS per patient increased with age (10.0 days for age group 0-9 and 12.7 days for age group >80), but declined over time from 13.6 days in 2005-2009 to 8.8 days in 2015-2019 in males, and from 13.7 days and to 8.2 days, respectively, in females. The costs due to work absence was higher in males. Cumulative health care costs were highest in females >80 years (8.4 million euros versus 1.6 million in males)., Conclusion: The incidence rate of femoral shaft fractures increased over the past 15 years in the Netherlands. Mean HLOS per patient has decreased in all age groups and in both sexes. Health care costs were highest for female octogenarians., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare that they have no conflict of interests or any competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To update the existing CHIP (CT in Head Injury Patients) decision rule for detection of (intra)cranial findings in adult patients following minor head injury (MHI)., Methods: The study is a prospective multicenter cohort study in the Netherlands. Consecutive MHI patients of 16 years and older were included. Primary outcome was any (intra)cranial traumatic finding on computed tomography (CT). Secondary outcomes were any potential neurosurgical lesion and neurosurgical intervention. The CHIP model was validated and subsequently updated and revised. Diagnostic performance was assessed by calculating the c-statistic., Results: Among 4557 included patients 3742 received a CT (82%). In 383 patients (8.4%) a traumatic finding was present on CT. A potential neurosurgical lesion was found in 73 patients (1.6%) with 26 (0.6%) patients that actually had neurosurgery or died as a result of traumatic brain injury. The original CHIP underestimated the risk of traumatic (intra)cranial findings in low-predicted-risk groups, while in high-predicted-risk groups the risk was overestimated. The c-statistic of the original CHIP model was 0.72 (95% CI 0.69-0.74) and it would have missed two potential neurosurgical lesions and one patient that underwent neurosurgery. The updated model performed similar to the original model regarding traumatic (intra)cranial findings (c-statistic 0.77 95% CI 0.74-0.79, after crossvalidation c-statistic 0.73). The updated CHIP had the same CT rate as the original CHIP (75%) and a similar sensitivity (92 versus 93%) and specificity (both 27%) for any traumatic (intra)cranial finding. However, the updated CHIP would not have missed any (potential) neurosurgical lesions and had a higher sensitivity for (potential) neurosurgical lesions or death as a result of traumatic brain injury (100% versus 96%)., Conclusions: Use of the updated CHIP decision rule is a good alternative to current decision rules for patients with MHI. In contrast to the original CHIP the update identified all patients with (potential) neurosurgical lesions without increasing CT rate., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

A subset of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients experience post-concussion symptoms. When a cluster of post-concussion symptoms persists for over three months, it is referred to as post-concussion syndrome (PCS). Little is known about the association between PCS and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) after mTBI. The aims of this study were to assess the implications of PCS on HRQoL six months after mTBI and the relationship between PCS and HRQoL domains. A prospective observational cohort study was conducted among a sample of mTBI patients. Follow-up postal questionnaires at six months after emergency department (ED) admission included socio-demographic information, the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ), and HRQoL measured with the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Perceived Quality of Life Scale (PQoL). In total, 731 mTBI patients were included, of whom 38.7% were classified as suffering from PCS. Patients with PCS had significantly lower scores on all SF-36 domains, lower physical and mental component summary scores and lower mean PQoL scores compared to patients without PCS. All items of the RPQ were negatively correlated to all SF-36 domains and PQoL subscale scores, indicating that reporting problems on any of the RPQ symptoms was associated with a decrease on different aspects of an individuals' HRQoL. To conclude, PCS is common following mTBI and patients with PCS have a considerably lower HRQoL. A better understanding of the relationship between PCS and HRQoL and possible mediating factors in this relationship could improve intervention strategies, the recovery process for mTBI patients and benchmarking., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Significant differences exist between retrospectively collected pre-injury Health Status (HS) of trauma patients and the HS of the general population. Compared to the general population, the trauma population includes a larger proportion of individuals with a low level of socio-economic status. The aim was to compare retrospectively collected pre-injury HS with HS of a sample of Dutch individuals not only adjusted for age and gender, but also for educational level., Methods: Within three months post-trauma, pre-injury HS (n = 2987) was collected by using the EuroQol-five-dimension-3-level (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire. Data were abstracted from the Brabant Injury Outcome Surveillance. The reference cohort (n = 1839) included a sample of the Dutch general population. Multiple regression was used to compare HS of both cohorts., Results: A higher recalled pre-injury EQ-5D-3L score of the injury cohort was reported compared to the HS of the reference cohort after adjustment for age (β = 0.014 [95% CI: 0.001,0.027] for males and β = 0.018 [95% CI: -0.001, 0.036] for females). After adjustment for age and educational level, the Beta showed a ≥10% increasement: males; unadjusted β = 0.006 [95% CI: -0.007, 0.019] to β = 0.014 [95% CI: 0.001, 0.027] after age adjustment to β = 0.020 [95% CI: 0.007, 0.033] after adjustment for age and educational level, females; unadjusted β = -0.018 [95% CI: -0.035, -0.001] to β = 0.018 [95% CI: -0.001, 0.036] after age adjustments to β = 0.025 [95% CI: 0.007, 0.043] after adjustments for age and educational level. After adjustment for age, gender and educational level, the injury cohort reported prior to the trauma less problems on the 'pain/discomfort' (OR = 0.522 [95% CI: 0.454, 0.602]) and the 'anxiety/depression' (OR = 0.745 [95% CI: 0.619, 0.897]) dimensions, as compared to the reference cohort. In contrast, the injury cohort reported significantly more problems on the 'self-care' dimension (OR = 1.497 [95% CI: 0.1.112, 2.016]) prior to the trauma., Conclusions: Injured patients report better recalled pre-injury HS compared to the HS of the reference cohort. After adjustment for educational level, the difference in HS between the injury cohort and the reference cohort increases, underlining that other confounders might also influence HS., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Previous research showed that there is no agreement on a practically applicable model to use in the evaluation of trauma care. A modification of the Trauma and Injury Severity Score (modified TRISS) is used to evaluate trauma care in the Netherlands. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic ability of the modified TRISS and to determine where this model needs improvement for better survival predictions., Methods: Patients were included if they were registered in the Brabant Trauma Registry from 2010 through 2015. Missing values were imputed according to multiple imputation. Subsets were created based on age, length of stay, type of injury and injury severity. Probability of survival was calculated with the modified TRISS. Discrimination was assessed with the Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve (AUROC). Calibration was studied graphically., Results: The AUROC was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.83, 0.85) for the total cohort (N = 69 747) but only 0.53 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.56) for elderly patients with hip fracture. Overall, calibration of the modified TRISS was adequate for the total cohort, with an overestimation for elderly patients and an underestimation for patients without brain injury., Conclusions: Outcome comparison conducted with TRISS-based predictions should be interpreted with care. If possible, future research should develop a simple prediction model that has accurate survival prediction in the aging overall trauma population (preferable with patients with hip fracture), with readily available predictors., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study aimed to provide an overview of the current falls prevention activities in community-dwelling elderly with an increased risk of falling in the Netherlands. Therefore, we determined: a) how health professionals detect community-dwelling elderly with an increased risk of falling; b) which falls prevention activities are used by health professionals and why; c) how elderly can be stimulated to participate in falls prevention programs; and d) how to finance falls prevention., Methods: A two-round online Delphi study among health experts was conducted. The panel of experts (n=125) consisted of community physiotherapists, community nurses, general practitioners, occupational therapists and geriatricians, from all over the Netherlands. The median and Inter Quartile Deviation (IQD) were reported for the questions with 5-point Likert scales, ranging from 'least' (1) to 'most' (5)., Results: Respectively 68% (n=85/125) and 58% (n=72/125) of the panel completely filled in the first and second round questionnaires. According to the panel, regular detection of fall risk of community-dwelling elderly with an increased risk of falling hardly takes place (median=2 [hardly]; IQD=1). Furthermore, these elderly are reluctant to participate in annual detection of fall risk (median=3 [reluctant]; IQD=1). According to 73% (n=37/51) of the panel, 0-40% of the elderly with an increased risk of falling are referred to exercise programs. In general, the panel indicated that structural follow-up is often lacking. Namely, after one month (n=21/43; 49%), three months (n=24/42; 57%), and six months (n=27/45; 60%) follow-up is never or hardly ever offered. Participation of elderly in falls prevention programs could be stimulated by a combination of measures. Should a combination of national health education, healthcare counseling, and removal of financial barriers be applied, 41-80% of the elderly is assumed to participate in falls prevention programs (n=47/64; 73%). None of the panel members indicated full financing of falls prevention by the elderly. A number of individuals are considered key in falls prevention activities, such as the general practitioner, physiotherapist, and informal caregiver., Conclusion: This Delphi study showed clear directions for improving falls prevention activities and how to increase participation rates., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Trauma is the leading cause of death in individuals younger than 40 years. There are many different models for predicting patient outcome following trauma. To our knowledge, no comprehensive review has been performed on prognostic models for the general trauma population. Therefore, this review aimed to describe (1) existing mortality prediction models for the general trauma population, (2) the methodological quality and (3) which variables are most relevant for the model prediction of mortality in the general trauma population., Methods: An online search was conducted in June 2015 using Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Cinahl, Cochrane, Google Scholar and PubMed. Relevant English peer-reviewed articles that developed, validated or updated mortality prediction models in a general trauma population were included., Results: A total of 90 articles were included. The cohort sizes ranged from 100 to 1,115,389 patients, with overall mortality rates that ranged from 0.6% to 35%. The Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) was the most commonly used model. A total of 258 models were described in the articles, of which only 103 models (40%) were externally validated. Cases with missing values were often excluded and discrimination of the different prediction models ranged widely (AUROC between 0.59 and 0.98). The predictors were often included as dichotomized or categorical variables, while continuous variables showed better performance., Conclusion: Researchers are still searching for a better mortality prediction model in the general trauma population. Models should 1) be developed and/or validated using an adequate sample size with sufficient events per predictor variable, 2) use multiple imputation models to address missing values, 3) use the continuous variant of the predictor if available and 4) incorporate all different types of readily available predictors (i.e., physiological variables, anatomical variables, injury cause/mechanism, and demographic variables). Furthermore, while mortality rates are decreasing, it is important to develop models that predict physical, cognitive status, or quality of life to measure quality of care., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Burn care has rapidly improved in the past decades. However, healthcare innovations can be expensive, demanding careful choices on their implementation. Obtaining knowledge on the extent of the costs of burn injuries is an essential first step for economic evaluations within burn care. The objective of this study was to determine the economic burden of patients with burns admitted to a burn centre and to identify important cost categories until 3 months post-burn., Patients and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the burn centre of Maasstad Hospital Rotterdam, the Netherlands, including all patients with acute burn related injuries from August 2011 until July 2012. Total costs were calculated from a societal perspective, until 3 months post injury. Subgroup analyses were performed to examine whether the mean total costs per patient differed by age, aetiology or percentage total body surface area (TBSA) burned., Results: In our population, with a mean burn size of 8%, mean total costs were €26,540 per patient varying from €742 to €235,557. Most important cost categories were burn centre days (62%), surgical interventions (5%) and work absence (20%). Flame burns were significantly more costly than other types of burns, adult patients were significantly more costly than children and adolescents and a higher percentage TBSA burned also corresponded to significantly higher costs., Discussion and Conclusion: Mean total costs of burn care in the first 3 months post injury were estimated at €26,540 and depended on age, aetiology and TBSA. Mean total costs in our population probably apply to other high-income countries as well, although we should realise that patients with burn injuries are diverse and represent a broad range of total costs. To reduce costs of burn care, future intervention studies should focus on a timely wound healing, reducing length of stay and enabling an early return to work., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study aimed to examine long-term population-based trends in the incidence rate of patients with a humeral fracture admitted to a hospital in the Netherlands from 1986 to 2012 and to give a detailed overview of the health care consumption and productivity loss with associated costs., Materials and Methods: Age and gender-standardised incidence rates of hospital admissions for patients with a proximal, shaft, or distal humeral fracture were calculated for each year (1986-2012). Injury cases, length of hospital stay (LOS), trauma mechanism, and operation rate were extracted from the National Medical Registration. An incidence-based cost model was applied to calculate costs for direct health care and lost productivity in 2012., Results: Between 1986 and 2012 112,910 patients were admitted for a humeral fracture. The incidence rate increased from 17.8 in 1986 to 40.0 per 100,000 person years in 2012. Incidence rates of proximal fractures increased the most, especially in elderly women. Operation rates decreased in patients aged 70 years or older. The mean LOS decreased from nine days in 1997 to five days in 2012. The cumulative LOS of all patients in 2012 was 28,880 days of which 73% were caused by women and 81% were caused by patients aged 50 years or older. Cumulative medical costs in 2012 were M€55.4, of which M€43.4 was spent on women. Costs increased with age. Costs for hospital care contributed most to the overall costs per case until 70 years of age. From 70 years onwards, the main cost determinants were hospital care, rehabilitation/nursing care, and home care. Cumulative costs due to lost productivity were M€23.5 in 2012. Costs per case increased with age in all anatomic regions., Conclusions: The crude number of patients admitted for a humeral fracture increased 124% in 27 years, and was associated with age and gender. Proximal fractures in elderly women accounted most significantly for this increase and most of the costs. The main cost determinants were hospital care and productivity loss., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)