Wang C.-Y.SHAU-HUAI FUCHUAN-CHING HUANGHung C.-C.RONG-SEN YANGFEI-YUAN HSIAO2021-03-092021-03-0920181368-5031https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85052372924&doi=10.1111%2fijcp.13246&partnerID=40&md5=f2816c6fbde64d4cae42d9bfb91522a3https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/551217Aims: Recent clinical guidelines have suggested that patients experience an osteoporotic fracture should initiate anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs). However, whether clinical guidelines translate well in “real-world” practices remain questioned. This study aimed to evaluate the “real-world” prescription pattern of AOMs and visualise the unmet treatment needs in different geographical areas in Taiwan. Methods: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified patients diagnosed with a hip or vertebral fracture between 2009 and 2012. The treatment rate was defined as the proportion of patients receiving AOMs within 1 year after their index fracture. The qualitative geographical information systems approach was adopted to visualise the treatment needs of postfracture patients in different geographical areas. Results: Our study included 276,492 patients diagnosed with a hip or vertebral fracture between 2009 and 2012. The proportion of patients who received AOMs within 1 year after their index fracture increased with age and differed with fracture types and sex. For patients with hip fractures, the treatment rate ranged from 3.43% to 20.88% for female patients and from 0.69% to 10.04% for male patients in different age groups. For patients with vertebral fractures, the treatment rate ranged from 3.23% to 37.08% for female patients and from 1.85% to 23.05% for male patients. Cities in the mid-northern and southern areas of Taiwan had the highest unmet treatment need, with a treatment rate of less than 15%. Conclusion: The treatment rate of osteoporotic fractures with AOMs was diverse and suboptimal in Taiwan, especially among male patients. This study used a visualisation technique to display information about the treatment status in different geographical areas and help policymakers allocate resource appropriately. ? 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltden[SDGs]SDG3[SDGs]SDG5bisphosphonic acid derivative; bone density conservation agent; adult; aged; Article; clinical practice; cohort analysis; controlled study; disease classification; female; fragility fracture; geographic distribution; geographic information system; health care need; health care survey; health care utilization; hip fracture; human; major clinical study; male; population research; practice guideline; prescription; priority journal; retrospective study; sex difference; spine fracture; Taiwan; very elderly; age; complication; factual database; fragility fracture; health service; hip fracture; middle aged; needs assessment; osteoporosis; public health; secondary prevention; sex factor; spatial analysis; spine fracture; statistics and numerical data; Taiwan; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bone Density Conservation Agents; Databases, Factual; Female; Geographic Information Systems; Health Services Needs and Demand; Hip Fractures; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; National Health Programs; Needs Assessment; Osteoporosis; Osteoporotic Fractures; Retrospective Studies; Secondary Prevention; Sex Factors; Spatial Analysis; Spinal Fractures; Taiwanjournal article10.1111/ijcp.13246301442472-s2.0-85052372924