Search

Background: Hip fractures are costly and common in older adults, but there is limited understanding of how treatment patterns and outcomes might differ between countries. Methods: We performed a retrospective serial cross‐sectional cohort study of adults aged ≥66 years hospitalized with hip fracture between 2011 and 2018 in the US, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Israel using population‐representative administrative data. We examined mortality, hip fracture treatment approaches (total hip arthroplasty [THA], hemiarthroplasty [HA], internal fixation [IF], and nonoperative), and health system performance measures, including hospital length of stay (LOS), 30‐day readmission rates, and time‐to‐surgery. Results: The total number of hip fracture admissions between 2011 and 2018 ranged from 23,941 in Israel to 1,219,696 in the US. In 2018, 30‐day mortality varied from 3% (16% at 1 year) in Taiwan to 10% (27%) in the Netherlands. With regards to processes of care, the proportion of hip fractures treated with HA (range 23%–45%) and THA (0.2%–10%) differed widely across countries. For example, in 2018, THA was used to treat approximately 9% of patients in England and Israel but less than 1% in Taiwan. Overall, IF was the most common surgery performed in all countries (40%–60% of patients). IF was used in approximately 60% of patients in the US and Israel, but only 40% in England. In 2018, rates of nonoperative management ranged from 5% of patients in Taiwan to nearly 10% in England. Mean hospital LOS in 2018 ranged from 6.4 days (US) to 18.7 days (England). The 30‐day readmission rate in 2018 ranged from 8% (in Canada and the Netherlands) to nearly 18% in England. The mean days to surgery in 2018 ranged from 0.5 days (Israel) to 1.6 days (Canada). Conclusions: We observed substantial between‐country variation in mortality, surgical approaches, and health system performance measures. These findings underscore the need for further research to inform evidence‐based surgical approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Many new cancer medicines have been developed that can improve patients' outcomes. However, access to these agents comes later in Europe than in the United States (US). The aim of this study is to assess the access in Europe to newly registered cancer drugs and to get more insight in the implications of these variations for patients. Methods. A retrospective database study was conducted. Analyses involved 12 cancer drugs and 28 European countries in the period 2011–2018. Time to patient access, speed of drug uptake, and the potential loss of life years due to a delay in access have been studied. Results. Marketing approval for the cancer drugs came on average 242 days later in Europe than in the US, and actual patient access varied extensively across Europe. The average time to market in Europe was 403 days (range 17–1187 days). The delay in patient access of ipilimumab and abiraterone may have led to a potential loss of more than 30,000 life years. Conclusion. It takes a long time for patients to get access to newly registered cancer drugs and there is great variation in access. The health outcomes can be substantially improved by faster processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sex differences in acute myocardial infarction treatment and outcomes are well documented, but it is unclear whether differences are consistent across countries. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology, use of interventional procedures, and outcomes for older females and males hospitalized with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in 6 diverse countries., Methods: We conducted a serial cross-sectional cohort study of 1 508 205 adults aged ≥66 years hospitalized with STEMI and NSTEMI between 2011 and 2018 in the United States, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Israel using administrative data. We compared females and males within each country with respect to age-standardized hospitalization rates, rates of cardiac catheterization, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery within 90 days of hospitalization, and 30-day age- and comorbidity-adjusted mortality., Results: Hospitalization rates for STEMI and NSTEMI decreased between 2011 and 2018 in all countries, although the hospitalization rate ratio (rate in males/rate in females) increased in virtually all countries (eg, US STEMI ratio, 1.58:1 in 2011 and 1.73:1 in 2018; Israel NSTEMI ratio, 1.71:1 in 2011 and 2.11:1 in 2018). Rates of cardiac catheterization, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery were lower for females than males for STEMI in all countries and years (eg, US cardiac catheterization in 2018, 88.6% for females versus 91.5% for males; Israel percutaneous coronary intervention in 2018, 76.7% for females versus 84.8% for males) with similar findings for NSTEMI. Adjusted mortality for STEMI in 2018 was higher for females than males in 5 countries (the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Israel, and Taiwan) but lower for females than males in 5 countries for NSTEMI., Conclusions: We observed a larger decline in acute myocardial infarction hospitalizations for females than males between 2011 and 2018. Females were less likely to receive cardiac interventions and had higher mortality after STEMI. Sex disparities seem to transcend borders, raising questions about the underlying causes and remedies., Competing Interests: Disclosures None.

Objectives: To compare treatment and outcomes for patients admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of ST elevation or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI or NSTEMI) in six high income countries with very different healthcare delivery systems., Design: Retrospective cross sectional cohort study., Setting: Patient level administrative data from the United States, Canada (Ontario and Manitoba), England, the Netherlands, Israel, and Taiwan., Participants: Adults aged 66 years and older admitted to hospital with STEMI or NSTEMI between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2017., Outcomes Measures: The three categories of outcomes were coronary revascularisation (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery), mortality, and efficiency (hospital length of stay and 30 day readmission). Rates were standardised to the age and sex distribution of the US acute myocardial infarction population in 2017. Outcomes were assessed separately for STEMI and NSTEMI. Performance was evaluated longitudinally (over time) and cross sectionally (between countries)., Results: The total number of hospital admissions ranged from 19 043 in Israel to 1 064 099 in the US. Large differences were found between countries for all outcomes. For example, the proportion of patients admitted to hospital with STEMI who received percutaneous coronary intervention in hospital during 2017 ranged from 36.9% (England) to 78.6% (Canada; 71.8% in the US); use of percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI increased in all countries between 2011 and 2017, with particularly large rises in Israel (48.4-65.9%) and Taiwan (49.4-70.2%). The proportion of patients with NSTEMI who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery within 90 days of admission during 2017 was lowest in the Netherlands (3.5%) and highest in the US (11.7%). Death within one year of admission for STEMI in 2017 ranged from 18.9% (Netherlands) to 27.8% (US) and 32.3% (Taiwan). Mean hospital length of stay in 2017 for STEMI was lowest in the Netherlands and the US (5.0 and 5.1 days) and highest in Taiwan (8.5 days); 30 day readmission for STEMI was lowest in Taiwan (11.7%) and the US (12.2%) and highest in England (23.1%)., Conclusions: In an analysis of myocardial infarction in six high income countries, all countries had areas of high performance, but no country excelled in all three domains. Our findings suggest that countries could learn from each other by using international comparisons of patient level nationally representative data., Competing Interests: Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest/ and declare: support from the US National Institute on Aging, ICES, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long term Care, Canadian Institute for Health Information for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years; and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)