Objectives: This article aims to review regulation governing outpatient orthotic braces (neck, wrist and knee braces) in France, the Netherlands and Sweden with a view to reforming the Belgian market.
Methods: Information about the regulatory framework was derived from an analysis of legal texts and a survey completed by national experts.
Results: Strategies to keep down prices include public procurement in Sweden, maximum prices in France, and exclusion of expensive braces from reimbursement in the Netherlands. Reimbursement is linked to a medical indication or a chronic condition in France, the Netherlands and Sweden. To gain reimbursement, the cost-effectiveness of orthotic braces needs to be demonstrated in France and the Netherlands. Orthotic braces tend to be initially prescribed by a specialist physician and distributed by orthotists, medical equipment shops and/or community pharmacies.
Conclusions: Extensive government intervention exists in the outpatient orthotic brace market in the countries studied. Our recommendations to reform the Belgian market for prefabricated orthotic braces are to separate reimbursement for service provision from reimbursement for braces; to set prices by means of a tendering process or an international price comparison; and to make reimbursement conditional on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of braces.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2007.11.012 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Unloader brace or high tibial osteotomy in the treatment of the young patient with medial knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.
Acta Orthop
January 2025
Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre Rotterdam; Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Background And Purpose: For medial knee osteoarthritis (OA), operative and nonoperative treatment options are available. Two widely applied unloading therapies are a valgus unloader brace and a high tibial osteotomy (HTO). We aimed to compare the effects of a valgus unloader knee brace with an HTO on knee pain after 1 year in patients with symptomatic medial knee OA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelf-reported mandible bracing and teeth clenching are associated with anxiety and depression traits in a group of healthy young individuals.
J Oral Facial Pain Headache
December 2024
Department of Medical Biotechnologies, School of Dentistry, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.
To assess the correlation between awake bruxism (AB) behaviors and psychological status in a group of healthy young adults. Participants were recruited at the University of Siena, Siena, Italy, by advertising the initiative. The reported frequency of AB behaviors was evaluated through the Oral Behavior Checklist (OBC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEarly mobilization program with nonweight-bearing brace improves functional capacity after diabetic foot ulcer surgery: a randomized controlled trial.
Langenbecks Arch Surg
January 2025
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100038, China.
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of early mobilization program with nonweight-bearing braces in improving functional outcomes and clinical indicators after diabetic foot ulcer surgery.
Methods: We conducted a randomized trial involving patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) who underwent surgery at a tertiary university hospital. Participants were randomized to receive either early mobilization with nonweight-bearing braces or standard rehabilitation care.
Successful Long-Term Management of NF1 Congenital Tibial Dysplasia with Prophylactic Bypass Graft and Bracing: A Case Report.
JBJS Case Connect
October 2024
Department of Orthopaedics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Case: An 8-year-old girl with NF1 and congenital tibial dysplasia with significant bilateral tibial bowing underwent McFarland procedures. Now age 22 with 14-year follow-up indicating sustained correction and healing of her bilateral limb deformities.
Conclusion: This case illustrates the McFarland procedure provided adequate corrective treatment of this deformity and remains a success at long-term follow-up.
Effect of knee extension constraint training on walking biomechanics 6 months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial.
J Orthop Surg Res
January 2025
Department of Sports Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Sports Injuries, Engineering Research Center of Sports Trauma Treatment Technology and Devices, Peking University Third Hospital, Institute of Sports Medicine of Peking University, Ministry of Education, No.49 Huayuan North Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
Background: The incidence of knee osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is high to 57%, and the biomechanical abnormality during walking is one of the reasons. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 12 weeks of knee extension constraint training on walking biomechanics during the stance phase of injured side after ACLR.
Methods: Forty-five patients were randomly assigned to three groups based on different brace conditions from 13 weeks to 24 weeks after ACLR: experimental (brace with knee extension constraint), placebo (brace without knee extension constraint), and control (no brace).
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!