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Брой: 2/2007
Автор: Михаил Боянов, Анна-Мария Борисова, Сабина Захариева, Пламен Попиванов, Русанка Ковачева, Александър Шинков
Абстракт:
Цел на настоящето проучване бе да се оценят загубите и пропуснатите ползи от приложението на количествения ултразвук на костите (QUS) у нас като диагностично средство за остеопороза и изписване и реимбурсиране на скъпоструващо лечение.
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The aim of this study was to assess the losses and the missed benefits caused by the use in our country of the quantitative ultrasound of bone (QUS) as a tool for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and for the initiation and reimbursement of anti-osteoporotic therapy.
Materials and methods. We did several assumptions. The gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis was dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the lumbar spine and proximal femur and all patients were women above the age of 50 years. Among these women 20,45% have osteoporosis, 32,50% – osteopenia and 47,05% have normal bone mineral density. The number of QUS devices in the country is 100. Data on sensitivity and specificity of QUS were taken from the greatest manufacturers – Hologic and GE Lunar, as well as from own studies. The price for a referent anti-osteoporotic treatment was equal to that of the original weekly Alendronate.
Results. The annual cost for unnecessary treatment (one third of all treated do not have osteoporosis according to DXA) is: 256 000 Bulgarian Leva (BGL) paid by the National Health Insurance Fund and 793 600 BGL – by the patients. The QUS T-score threshold of ≤ -2,5 means that 35 000 – 40 000 women with osteoporosis would be missed. 26 000 – 30 000 of them are due to experience osteoporotic fractures which would generate costs of 5 145 000 – 7 700 000 BGL (direct costs).
Conclusions. QUS of bone should be only used as a tool for DXA candidates. So its use would bring economic benefit. At present the massive and uncritical use of QUS leads to great financial losses to the National Health Insurance Fund and our society as a whole.
Key words: quantitative ultrasound of bone, osteoporosis, diagnosis, treatment, pharmacoeconomics
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