Higher Direct Medical Costs Research Articles

Costs and Length of Stay of Drug-Related Hospital Admissions in Cancer Patients

BackgroundMost previous studies of the incidence and economic impact of drug-related hospital admissions were not cancer specific, despite the fact that drug-related problems (DRPs) are of particular concern in oncology. ObjectiveThe goals of this study were to assess the economic impact, particularly the length of stay (LOS) and direct medical costs (DMC), of drug-related hospital admissions and the associated factors in cancer patients in Singapore. MethodsA prospective study was conducted over a 5-month period in 2 oncology wards at the largest acute tertiary hospital in Singapore. Drug-related admissions were identified from all oncology admissions to these wards, and the demographic, clinical, and cost data of these drug-related admissions were collected. The association between LOS and DMC as well as their associations with age, severity, and preventability of DRPs were examined. A nationwide estimation was made to determine the overall DMC of drug-related hospital admissions among cancer patients. ResultsA total of 151 drug-related admissions that occurred among 137 cancer patients were identified. The mean DMC (in Singapore dollars [SGD]) and LOS per drug-related admission were SGD $4747 and 6.1 days, respectively. A nationwide extrapolation estimated an annual total DMC of SGD $16.2 million. Longer LOS was found to be correlated with higher DMC (rs = 0.86, P < 0.001) and preventable DRPs (P = 0.02). ConclusionsDrug-related hospitalization among cancer patients is costly; therefore, more attention is warranted to develop and improve strategies for preventing drug-related morbidity and mortality in cancer patients.

It's Still Not Too Late to Make a Change: Current Status of Glycemic Control in Korea.

It's Still Not Too Late to Make a Change: Current Status of Glycemic Control in Korea.

Identifying patient characteristics associated with high schizophrenia-related direct medical costs in community-dwelling patients.

Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating disease that affects approximately 1% of the U.S. population and has disproportionately high costs. Several factors, including age, gender, insurance status, and comorbid conditions, have been hypothesized to be associated with schizophrenia- related costs. To identify demographic and clinical characteristics of community-dwelling schizophrenia patients experiencing high schizophrenia-related direct medical costs. Community-dwelling patients with a diagnosis for schizophrenic disorder (ICD-9-CM code 295) and other nonorganic psychoses (ICD-9-CM code 298) were identified from the 2005-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Schizophrenia-related direct medical costs were calculated for (a) inpatient hospitalizations; (b) prescription medications; and (c) outpatient, office-based physician, emergency room, and home health care visits. Using Andersen's Behavorial Model of Health Services Use and the literature, factors that could potentially affect schizophrenia-related direct medical costs were identified. Based on the distribution of their mean annual costs, patients were classified into high- and low-cost groups. Logistic regression was used to determine the likelihood of high-cost group membership based on age, sex, race, insurance status, marital status, region of residence, family income as a percentage of poverty line, number of medical comorbidities, number of mental health-related comorbidities, patient-perceived general health status, patient-perceived mental health status, and year of inclusion in MEPS. In addition, a generalized linear model (GLM) regression (gamma distribution with a log-link function) was used to evaluate the relationships between the independent variables and total schizophrenia-related direct medical costs as a continuous variable. From the MEPS database, we identified 317 patients with schizophrenia who represented 2.75 million noninstitutionalized, community-dwelling schizophrenia patients in the United States between 2005 and 2008. The logistic regression procedure showed that older patients (OR=0.933, 95% CI=0.902-0.966) and patients with a spouse (OR=0.150, 95% CI=0.041-0.555) were less likely to be in the high-cost group, while those who reported having "poor" perceived general health status (OR=15.548, 95% CI=1.278-189.127) were more likely to be in the high-cost group. The GLM regression procedure showed that younger patients (compared with older patients), African Americans (compared with Caucasions), patients with private insurance (compared with the uninsured), and those living in the northeastern United States (compared with those living in the southern United States) had higher schizophrenia-related direct medical costs. Identification of factors associated with a high-cost population may help decision makers in managed care, government, and other organizations allocate resources more efficiently and health care providers manage patients more effectively through assignment of these patients to case managers and appropriate monitoring and treatment.

Determinants of psychogeriatric inpatient length of stay and direct medical costs: A 6‐year longitudinal study using a national database in Taiwan

This research examined factors related to the average length of hospital stay (LOS) and average direct medical costs (DMC) for 2291 psychogeriatric inpatients (aged 65 and over) admitted for the first time to a psychiatric ward in 2002. Hospitalization claim data of these inpatients were traced for the subsequent 6 years (2002-2007) from the dataset of Taiwan's National Health Insurance program. Analysis was carried out using the t-test, χ(2) -test and zero truncated Tobit regression. Mean LOS and mean DMC were significantly different according to sex, psychiatric diagnosis, institution type, ownership type, and number of hospitalizations, but age was the exception. Both LOS and DMC exhibited downward U-shape for the number of hospitalizations. Factors significantly associated with longer LOS and higher DMC were: male sex; schizophrenic and delusional disorders (compared with dementia); and public institution (compared with private hospital). Compared with dementia, organic mental and anxiety disorders had significantly shorter LOS, and affective disorders had shorter LOS but higher DMC. Community and psychiatric hospitals (compared with general hospital) significantly influenced LOS but not DMC. Our results can be used as a reference for providers and policymakers to improve psychiatric care efficiency and carry out National Health Insurance financial reform for psychogeriatric inpatients.

PMH78 Economic Burden Associated with Extra-Pyramidal Symptoms in a Medicaid Population with Schizophrenia

Extra-pyramidal symptoms (EPS) can be a treatment emergent adverse event associated with the use of atypical antipsychotics (AAPs). Studies assessing the economic burden of EPS in schizophrenia are scarce.This study aims to assess health care resource use and costs associated with EPS in patients with schizophrenia using Medicaid data A retrospective analysis of Marketscan Medicaid Multi-State Database (2004-2009) was conducted. Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and newly initiated on AAP were included. The index date was the date of the first AAP prescription fill. Two cohorts were created based on the presence or absence of either a diagnosis code for EPS or a prescription claim for a known medication to treat EPS during the 90 days post-index. Patients with EPS were matched to patients without EPS using propensity scores. The number of hospitalizations, emergency room (ER) and associated health care costs were assessed in the 12 months follow up. Regression models were conducted to compare utilization and costs between the two groups. Total sample size was 4602. Of those, 545 (11.8%) had EPS. Younger age (36.6 vs. 38.9 years, p<0.0001), higher proportion of African American patients (58.9% vs. 55.4%, p<0.03), and a higher rate of risperidone use as the index treatment (61.1% vs. 36.1%, p<0.0001) were observed in the EPS group. After matching, baseline covariates were similar between groups. Patients with EPS had a significantly higher likelihood of schizophrenia-related (OR=1.62, 95% CI=1.18-2.23, p=0.003) and all cause hospitalizations (OR=1.45, 95% CI=1.12-1.88, p=0.0042) compared to patients without EPS. The difference in schizophrenia-specific total health care, hospitalization, and prescription drug costs between patients with and without EPS was $2636 (95% CI=$1270-$4002), $1427 (95% CI=$467-2388), and $860 (95% CI=$480-$1239), respectively. The presence of EPS in patients with schizophrenia is associated with increased health care resource utilization and higher direct medical costs.

Does participation in clinical trials influence the costs of future management of patients?

An earlier study showed that from a societal perspective it was less expensive to encourage patients to self-regulate their medication for GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) by treating patients on-demand. The objective was to investigate whether physician involvement in a clinical trial financed by the pharmaceutical industry subsequently results in higher health care costs. An open, observational, multicenter study compared direct medical costs and total costs for three groups of patients with different exposure to the clinical trial; (1) Dual exposed, where both the patients and the GP participated in the former clinical trial, (2) GP exposed, where only the GP participated in the former clinical trial and (3) nonexposed, where neither the patients nor the GP participated in the former clinical trial. We did not find any statistically significant differences in neither direct medical nor total costs. However, we did observe a numerical difference in direct medical costs of 24% higher in the dual exposed group compared to the nonexposed group mainly due to a higher consumption of prescribed medication. The higher direct medical cost in the dual exposed group was however counterbalanced by lower observed direct nonmedical and indirect costs. Although we did not find any statistical significant differences in health care costs, we did observe a higher consumption of prescribed medication and lower costs of work hours lost if both patient and GPs participated in a former clinical trial. The results may be limited due to a lower number of patients included than expected.

Abstract P90: Cardiovascular and Economic Outcomes Following Initiation of Atorvastatin versus Simvastatin in an Employed Population Stratified by Cardiovascular Risk

OBJECTIVE: To compare initiation with atorvastatin versus simvastatin among higher- and lower-risk employees in terms of subsequent risk of cardiovascular (CV) events and direct and indirect costs from the employer perspective. METHODS: Employees initiating atorvastatin or simvastatin were identified from a claims database (1999-2006) spanning 23 large, self-insured employers and stratified as 1) high-risk employees with prior CV events, diabetes or renal disorders and 2) low-to-intermediate-risk employees without these conditions. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for baseline differences between the atorvastatin and simvastatin cohorts, and two-year outcomes were compared between matched cohorts. Indirect costs included disability payments and medically-related absenteeism. Atorvastatin and simvastatin drug costs were imputed with recent prices to account for availability of generic simvastatin. RESULTS: Among 4,167 matched pairs of high-risk employees, initiation with atorvastatin vs. simvastatin was associated with similar rates of subsequent CV events (17.6 vs. 18.4%, P=0.37), higher direct medical costs ($17,590 vs. $17,377, P=0.002), similar indirect costs ($4,830 vs. $4,989, P=0.29) and higher total costs by $54 ($22,420 vs. $22,366, P=0.034). The majority of high-risk employees (62%) received low initial statin doses (atorvastatin ≤ 10 mg or simvastatin ≤ 20 mg). Among 9,326 matched pairs of low-to-intermediate risk employees, initiation with atorvastatin vs. simvastatin was associated with a lower rate of CV events (3.1 vs. 3.7%, p=0.030), lower direct medical costs ($8,400 vs. $8,436, P&lt;0.001), similar indirect costs ($2,781 vs. $2,807; P=0.12) and lower total costs by $61 ($11,181 vs. $11,243, P&lt;0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among high-risk patients, initiation with atorvastatin vs. simvastatin was associated with no significant difference in CV events and higher total costs to employers. Among low-to-intermediate risk patients, initiation with atorvastatin vs. simvastatin was associated with fewer CV events and net cost savings to employers. Formulary policies reserving atorvastatin for higher-risk patients may not be beneficial from the employer perspective.

Cardiovascular and Economic Outcomes After Initiation of Atorvastatin versus Simvastatin in an Employed Population Stratified by Cardiovascular Risk

The relative effects of atorvastatin and simvastatin among higher- and lower-risk patients are not well characterized. This study compared cardiovascular (CV) risk and direct and indirect costs among higher- and lower-risk employees initiating atorvastatin vs. simvastatin. Using a large employer claims database (1999-2006), employees were stratified as 1) high-risk employees with prior CV events, diabetes, or renal disorders; and 2) low- to intermediate-risk employees without these conditions. Propensity score matching was used, and 2-year outcomes were compared between matched cohorts. Indirect costs included disability payments and medically related absenteeism. Drug costs were imputed with recent prices to account for availability of generic simvastatin. Among 4167 matched pairs of high-risk employees, atorvastatin use was associated with a numerically lower risk of CV events (17.6 versus 18.4%, P = 0.37), higher direct medical costs ($17,590 versus $17,377, P = 0.002), numerically lower indirect costs ($4830 versus $4989, P = 0.29), and higher total costs by $54 ($22,420 versus $22,366, P = 0.034). The majority of high-risk employees (62%) received low initial statin doses (atorvastatin = 10 mg or simvastatin = 20 mg). Among 9326 matched pairs of low- to intermediate-risk employees, atorvastatin use was associated with a lower risk of CV events (3.1% versus 3.7%, P = 0.030), lower direct medical costs ($8400 versus $8436, P < 0.001), numerically lower indirect costs ($2781 versus $2807; P = 0.12), and lower total costs by $61 ($11,181 versus $11,243, P < 0.001). These results suggest that formulary policies reserving atorvastatin for higher-risk patients may not be cost-saving from the employer perspective.

Clinical comorbidities, treatment patterns, and direct medical costs of patients with osteoarthritis in usual care: a retrospective claims database analysis

Objective:Comorbidities and resource utilization among patients with osteoarthritis (OA) in clinical practice have been infrequently characterized. The purpose of this study was to examine comorbidities, pain-related pharmacotherapy, and direct medical costs of patients with OA in clinical practice.Method:This retrospective cohort analysis used medical and pharmacy claims data from the LifeLink™ Database. OA patients (ICD-9-CM codes 715.XX) were matched (age, gender, and region) with individuals without OA. Comorbidities, pain-related pharmacotherapy, and direct medical costs (pharmacy, outpatient, inpatient, total) were examined for the calendar year 2008.Results:The sample consisted of 112,951 OA patients and 112,951 controls (mean age: 56.9 [SD = 9.5] years; 62% female). Relative to controls, OA patients were significantly more likely (p < 0.0001) to have comorbidities, including musculoskeletal (84.3 vs. 37.1%) and neuropathic pain (22.0 vs. 6.1%) conditions, depression (12.4 vs. 6.4%), anxiety (6.6 vs. 3.5%), and sleep disorders (11.9 vs. 4.2%). OA patients were significantly more likely (p < 0.0001) to receive pain-related medications, including opioids (40.7 vs. 17.1%), NSAIDs (37.1 vs. 11.5%), tramadol (9.8 vs. 1.8%), and adjunctive medications for treating depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Mean [SD] total direct medical costs were more than two times higher among OA patients ($12,905 [$21,884] vs. $5099 [$13,855]; p < 0.001) and median costs were more than three times higher ($6188 vs. $1879; p < 0.0001). Study limitations include potential errors in coding and recording; overestimation of the comorbidity burden; inability to link condition of interest, OA, with prescribed medications; and possible underestimation of the true costs of OA, because indirect costs were not considered and the direct costs were from a third party payer (commercial insurance) perspective.Conclusion:The patient burden of OA was characterized by a high prevalence of comorbidities. The payer burden was also substantial, with significantly greater use of pain-related and adjunctive medications, and higher direct medical costs.

Expanding access to HAART: a cost-effective approach for treating and preventing HIV

HIV continues to present a substantial global health burden. Given the high direct medical costs associated with the disease, prevention of new transmission is an important element in limiting economic burden. In addition to providing therapeutic benefit, treatment with HAART has potential to prevent transmission of HIV. The objective in this study was to perform an economic evaluation of the incremental net benefit associated with an intervention to expand treatment with HAART in British Columbia, Canada. A mathematical model describing transmission of HIV, integrated with a microsimulation model describing the clinical and economic course of HIV. The primary outcome was the incremental net benefit of expanding treatment with HAART from 50 to 75% of clinically eligible individuals in British Columbia, assuming a willingness-to-pay threshold of US$ 50,000 per quality-adjusted life year. Direct medical costs included were antiretroviral and nonantiretroviral medications, hospitalizations, physician visits, and laboratory tests. The mathematical and microsimulation models were based on patient characteristics observed in British Columbia. Longitudinal data described health services utilization, clinical progression, and survival for all individuals receiving treatment for HIV in British Columbia. Over 30 years, the HAART expansion scenario was associated with a net benefit of US$ 900 million (95% confidence interval US$ 493 million to 1.45 billion). Increasing the HAART treatment rate from 50 to 75% of clinically eligible individuals in British Columbia appears to be a cost-effective strategy based on this model. These cost-effectiveness results are consistent with public health objectives: all individuals who are eligible for an established life-saving treatment should receive it.

How Do Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-Related Chronic Complications Impact Direct Medical Cost in Four Major Cities of Urban China?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the direct medical costs of type 2 diabetes mellitus with or without complications, and to determine the economic impact of complications on type 2 diabetic patients. We performed a cross-sectional study of prevalent type 2 diabetes carried out in four major cities of China. The study populations were 1530 outpatients and 524 inpatients from clinics or wards of a total of 20 hospitals, using a two-phase subject enrollment process, by face-to-face interview with a unique questionnaire. The annual direct medical cost per patient was estimated to be 4800 Chinese Yuan (CNY) in median or 10,164 CNY in mean. There is a difference between annual direct medical costs for patients with or without complications (6056 vs. 3583 CNY; P < 0.001). It is also significantly different for the pay-out-of-pocket proportions (P = 0.015) between the patients with (44.6%) and without complications (40.4%). The direct medical cost varied significantly among the four cities (P < 0.001). Patients who simultaneously suffered microvascular and macrovascular diseases had higher direct medical cost (7600) than those with macrovascular (6000) (P = 0.012) and microvascular disease (5364) (P < 0.001), and those without both (3600) (P < 0.001). The correlation was statistically significant between the number of complications and direct medical costs (P < 0.001). The high economic burden raised by diabetes and its complications challenges the Chinese health-care system. It implicates an urgent need of intervention to prevent the development of long-term complications among the diabetic population, especially on the development of complications in high-cost body system.

Injury rate and socioeconomic costs resulting from sports injuries in Flanders: data derived from sports insurance statistics 2003

Objective:This study determines the injury rate (%) and the associated direct medical and indirect costs of sports injuries in Flanders.Setting:Epidemiological cohort designs and a human capital method were set up...

Impact of Comorbid Attention Deficit Disorder on the Direct Medical Costs of Treating Adults With Depression in Managed Care

To assess the impact of comorbid attention deficit disorder (ADD) on the direct medical costs of treating adults with depression in a mixed-model health maintenance organization. Annual mean and marginal health care costs were calculated for adults who were continuously enrolled at Group Health Cooperative during 2001 and who were diagnosed with depression, ADD, or both ADD and depression according to ICD-9-CM criteria during 2001. Of 249,874 adults continuously enrolled during 2001, 17,792 (7.1%) were diagnosed with depression, 1023 (0.4%) were diagnosed with ADD, and 454 (0.2%) were diagnosed with both depression and ADD. The mean total annual cost for an adult with a diagnosis of depression in 2001 exceeded that for the average adult enrolled in Group Health by 109% ($6029 vs. $2880). Of the $6029 mean total annual cost for treating an adult with a diagnosis of depression, $1872 (31%) was specifically attributable to depression. The presence of comorbid ADD resulted in ADD- and depression-attributed marginal costs approximately 29% higher than the costs specifically attributed to depression alone ($2418 vs. $1872). In fact, among patients with a diagnosis of ADD and depression, ADD- and depression-attributed costs approached the mean total cost of health care in the sample as a whole ($2880). Depression is associated with high direct medical costs. The marginal costs of treating comorbid depression and ADD substantially exceed those of treating depression alone. These results underline the importance of considering the costs of comorbidities in estimating the economic burden of depression and developing cost-effective disease-management strategies.

The systemic lupus erythematosus Tri‐Nation study: Cumulative indirect costs

We previously reported that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the US incurred approximately 19% and 12% higher direct medical costs than patients in Canada and the UK, respectively, without experiencing superior outcomes expressed as disease damage or quality of life. In the present study, we compared cumulative indirect costs over 4 years in these patients. A total of 715 patients with SLE (269 US, 231 Canada, 215 UK) were surveyed semiannually for 4 years on employment status and time lost from labor and nonlabor market activities. Cross-country comparisons of indirect costs were performed. In the US, Canada, and the UK, mean 4-year cumulative indirect costs (95% confidence interval [95% CI]) due to diminished labor market activity were $56,745 ($49,919, $63,571), $38,642 ($32,785, $44,500), and $42,213 ($35,859, $48,567), respectively, and cumulative indirect costs due to diminished nonlabor market activity were $5,249 ($2,766, $7,732), $5,455 ($3,290, $7,620), and $8,572 ($5,626, $11,518), respectively. Regression results showed that cumulative indirect costs (95% CI) due to diminished labor market activity in the US were $6,750 ($580, $12,910) greater than in Canada and $10,430 ($4,050, $16,800) greater than in the UK. Indirect costs due to diminished nonlabor market activity in the US were $280 (-$2,950, $3,520) less than in Canada and $2,010 (-$1,490, $5,510) less than in the UK, both results insignificant due to wide CIs. Despite American patients incurring greater direct medical costs than Canadian and British patients, they do not experience superior health outcomes in terms of less productivity loss in either labor market or nonlabor market activities.

Outcomes associated with early rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disease affecting 1% of adults in the UK and western countires. No single outcome measure comprehensively captures the full range of potential outcomes in early rheumatoid arthritis, so a range of measures are needed. This article evaluates the clinical and economic outcomes of early rheumatoid arthritis. These include pain, which is a major concern for patients, fatigue and persisting disease activity. The key therapeutic goal – remission of these clinical features – is achieved by 10–36% of early rheumatoid arthritis patients using currently available treatment. Disability, erosive damage and work disability are other important negative outcomes of early rheumatoid arthritis. Together, they account for its high direct and indirect medical costs. These various outcomes are outlined in this article.

Developing National Estimates of the Out-of-Pocket Costs of Cancer: The Importance of Including Patients with Lymphoma.

Background: While Congress has mandated that the NIH provide a national estimate of the cost of cancer, almost all cancer cost studies have focused exclusively on breast cancer. No study has reported comparison data for persons with Hodgkin's disease (HD) or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). These illnesses have a high cure rate, and affected persons are likely to experience significant economic hardships. Many participate in the workforce during treatment and long after the treatment is complete. Herein, we report preliminary results from an ongoing study on the out-of-pocket direct medical and non-medical costs for a cohort of patients with lymphoma and provide contextual comparison with a cohort of breast cancer patients who received care at the same cancer center (Arozullah, Supportive Oncology, 2004).Methods: 178 breast cancer and lymphoma patients provided information on out-of-pocket costs for the preceding 3-month period; 12% had a diagnosis of HD or NHL. In total, 120 lymphoma patients will be interviewed for this study. Direct medical costs are costs related to medical care such as medications, procedures, and doctor visits. Direct non-medical costs are costs related to cancer, but not medical care, such as costs for meals, transportation, parking, and phone calls.Results: The majority of both lymphoma and breast cancer patients were < 65 years old, married, and employed. All patients had healthcare insurance coverage, with the majority insured with private plans. In comparison to women with breast cancer, persons with HD/NHL had similar mean monthly out-of-pocket cost expenditures, $635 versus $728. For lymphoma patients, factors associated with high direct medical costs included ≤ 12th grade education ($1,585/month) and HD ($1,133/month).Conclusion: Mean monthly out-of-pocket expenditures are similar for HD/NHL and breast cancer. Direct medical out-of-pocket expenditures for lymphoma vary. Direct medical expenditures are greatest for HD ($1,130), intermediate for aggressive NHL and breast cancer ($512–$597), and lowest for indolent NHL ($180). Comprehensive economic analyses of cancer should include a range of malignancies.Average Monthly Out-of-Pocket Costs for Lymphoma and Breast Cancer Patients.Direct Medical CostDirect Medical CostDirect Non-Medical CostDirect Non-Medical CostLymphomaBreastLymphomaBreastHousehold Income< $60,000$381$664$40$111≥ $60,000$599$553$159$161Education≤ 12th grade$1,585$610$72$118> 12th grade$437$653$141$122Diagnosis< 6 Months$577$487$114$135≥ 6 Months$333$660$128$130Total Lymphoma$516..$119..HD$1,133..$155..AggressiveNHL$512..$167..Indolent NHL$180..$166..Total Breast Cancer..$597..$131

Management of adverse drug effects

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are still considered one of the main problems of drug therapy. ADRs are associated with considerable morbidity, mortality, decreased compliance and therapeutic success as well as high direct and indirect medical costs. Several considerations have to come into play when managing a potential ADR. It is critical to establish an accurate clinical diagnosis of the adverse event. Combining information about drug exposure together with considering other possible causes of the reaction is crucial to establish a causal relationship between the reaction and the suspected drug. Identification of the underlying pathogenesis of an ADR together with the severity of the reaction will have profound implications on continuation of drug therapy after an ADR. Since spontaneous reports about ADRs are a key stone of a functioning post-marketing surveillance system and therefore play a key role in improving drug safety, health care professionals are highly encouraged to report ADRs to a local or national organization. However, because the majority of ADRs is dose-dependent and therefore preventable, individualization of pharmacotherapy may have a major impact on reducing such events.

Fractures of the femoral shaft in children. Incidence, mechanisms, and sociodemographic risk factors.

Fractures of the femoral shaft in children are caused by major musculoskeletal trauma and result in high direct and indirect medical costs. To date, the American literature has focused on treatment options and outcomes, but the epidemiology of these injuries has been generalized from Scandinavian studies reported in the 1970s and early 1980s. The goals of the current study were (1) to determine the age, gender, and race-specific rates and mechanisms of fractures of the femoral shaft in children in a large United-States-based population and (2) to identify associations between the rates of these fractures and multiple sociodemographic indicators. Such information is vital for preventive efforts. The Hospital Discharge Database of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission for the years 1990 through 1996 was used to obtain demographic data on 1485 cases of acute fracture of the femoral shaft in patients who were less than eighteen years old, and data from the United States Bureau of the Census for the state of Maryland for the year 1990 were used to obtain denominator data. Reliable external-cause data were available from the 1995 and 1996 databases for 472 patients. Small-area analysis was performed at the zip-code level to determine associations between numerous sociodemographic indicators and the rate of femoral shaft fracture. The annual rate of femoral shaft fracture in children was 19.15 per 100,000. With regard to age, there was a bimodal distribution, with peaks at two and seventeen years. Boys had higher rates of fracture than did girls at all ages, and blacks had higher rates than did whites. The primary mechanisms of fracture were age-dependent and included falls, for children less than six years old; motor vehicle-pedestrian accidents, for those six to nine years old; and motor-vehicle accidents, for teenagers. Firearm-related injuries accounted for 15 percent of the fractures among black adolescents. Adverse socioeconomic conditions were significantly associated with higher rates of fracture. The rates and mechanisms of femoral shaft fractures in children depend on age, gender, and race. For children living in the United States today, the epidemiology of these fractures is different than that described in earlier, Scandinavian reports.