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Objective To examine the secular trend of hip fracture incidence in Belgium between 2000 and 2007 and the concomitant change in the prescriptions of antiosteoporosis medications. Methods The incidence of hip fractures and the number of prescriptions were determined using national databases. A logistic regression including years and 5-year age range was performed to assess the secular trend of hip fracture incidence, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to examine the relationship between hip fracture incidence and the prescriptions of antiosteoporosis medications. Results The annual number of hip fractures increased in Belgium from 13,512 in 2000 to 14,744 in 2007, with a more marked increased in men (20.4%) than in women (5.7%). The age-adjusted incidence of hip fractures was significantly decreased by 1.12% per year in women, but declined nonsignificantly by 0.34% per year in men. An increase in the prescriptions of antiosteoporosis medications in women was observed during the same time period. Conclusion Despite an increase in the number of hip fractures in Belgium between 2000 and 2007, there was a significant decrease in age-adjusted incidence in women but not in men. Although our results suggest that the decrease may be related to the extent of antiosteoporosis medications, a causal relationship cannot be ascertained and many other factors may have contributed to the decrease in age-adjusted incidence.

Reform of hospital financing became reality on July 1 2002. This reform is intended to prevent the slippage of health care outlays while promoting quality for all hospital health care without jeopardizing the financial equilibrium of the hospital bud- get. One of the fundamental changes in this reform is to take into account hospital activity in health care budget. Financing, previously based on structural features such as the number of acknowledged beds, takes nowadays the ‘justified activity of the hospital’ into account. This ‘justified activity’ is based upon the case-mix of the hospital (this is the number and type of pathologies) and also the average national length of stay per pathology group. To stimulate one day hospitalization, this one is being integrated into the calculation of ‘justified activity’, i.e. in the financing of hospitals.

To examine the secular trend of hip fracture incidence in Belgium between 2000 and 2007 and the concomitant change in the prescriptions of antiosteoporosis medications.The incidence of hip fractures and the number of prescriptions were determined using national databases. A logistic regression including years and 5-year age range was performed to assess the secular trend of hip fracture incidence, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to examine the relationship between hip fracture incidence and the prescriptions of antiosteoporosis medications.The annual number of hip fractures increased in Belgium from 13,512 in 2000 to 14,744 in 2007, with a more marked increased in men (20.4%) than in women (5.7%). The age-adjusted incidence of hip fractures was significantly decreased by 1.12% per year in women, but declined nonsignificantly by 0.34% per year in men. An increase in the prescriptions of antiosteoporosis medications in women was observed during the same time period.Despite an increase in the number of hip fractures in Belgium between 2000 and 2007, there was a significant decrease in age-adjusted incidence in women but not in men. Although our results suggest that the decrease may be related to the extent of antiosteoporosis medications, a causal relationship cannot be ascertained and many other factors may have contributed to the decrease in age-adjusted incidence.