title: The application of health technology assessment in osteoporosis.
abstract: Because of the high costs to patients, health care payers and to society, it is important to allocate healthcare resources appropriately and efficiently. Health technology assessment aims to evaluate the clinical, economic, social, and ethical implications of a disease, and its prevention and treatment to guide national healthcare policies (e.g. clinical and research investment, reimbursement decisions). In this chapter, we review the various aspects of health technology assessment in osteoporosis, including epidemiology and burden of disease, and assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the treatment of osteoporosis and the prevention of fracture. Health technology assessment indicates an immense burden of osteoporotic fractures for patients and society that is set to increase as the number of elderly people increases. Prevention and treatment of osteoporosis have been shown to be a cost-effective way of allocating scarce healthcare resources.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK. Electronic address: w.j.Pontefract@shef.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kanis
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.hiligsmann@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Mickaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiligsmann
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: burden of disease; cost-effectiveness; economic evaluation; health technology assessment; osteoporosis; treatment