Establishing a Chinese older hip fracture registry for older patients: a Delphi study to define the focus and key variables for this registry

A national hip fracture registry does not yet exist in China. This is the first to recommend a core variable set for the establishment of a Chinese national hip fracture registry. Thousands of Chinese hospitals will build on this and improve the quality of management for older hip fracture patients. The rapidly ageing population of China already experiences over half a million hip fractures every year. Many countries have developed national hip fracture registries to improve the quality of hip fracture management, but such a registry does not exist in China. The study is aimed at determining the core variables of a national hip fracture registry for older hip fracture patients in China. A rapid literature review was conducted to develop a preliminary pool of variables from existing global hip fracture registries. Two rounds of an e-Delphi survey were conducted with experts. The e-Delphi survey used a Likert 5-point scale and boundary value analysis to filter the preliminary pool of variables. The list of core variables was finalised following an online consensus meeting with the experts. Thirty-one experts participated. Most of the experts have senior titles and have worked in a corresponding area for more than 15 years. The response rate of the e-Delphi was 100% for both rounds. The preliminary pool of 89 variables was established after reviewing 13 national hip fracture registries. With two rounds of the e-Delphi and the expert consensus meeting, 86 core variables were recommended for inclusion in the registry. This study is the first to recommend a core variable set for the establishment of a Chinese national hip fracture registry. The further development of a registry to routinely collect data from thousands of hospitals will build on this work and improve the quality of management for older hip fracture patients in China.

Call to action: a five nations consensus on the use of intravenous zoledronate after hip fracture

Currently in the UK and Ireland, after a hip fracture most patients do not receive bone protection medication to reduce the risk of refracture. Yet randomised controlled trial data specifically examining patients with hip fracture have shown that intravenous zoledronate reduces refracture risk by a third. Despite this evidence, use of intravenous zoledronate is highly variable following a hip fracture; many hospitals are providing this treatment, whilst most are currently not. A range of clinical uncertainties, doubts over the evidence base and practical concerns are cited as reasons. This paper discusses these concerns and provides guidance from expert consensus, aiming to assist orthogeriatricians, pharmacists and health services managers establish local protocols to deliver this highly clinically and cost-effective treatment to patients before they leave hospital, in order to reduce costly re-fractures in this frail population.

Frequency, duration, and type of physiotherapy in the week after hip fracture surgery - analysis of implications for discharge home, readmission, survival, and recovery of mobility

PURPOSE

To examine the association between physiotherapy access after hip fracture and discharge home, readmission, survival, and mobility recovery.

METHODS

A 2017 Physiotherapy Hip Fracture Sprint Audit was linked to hospital records for 5383 patients. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between physiotherapy access in the first postoperative week and discharge home, 30-day readmission post-discharge, 30-day survival and 120-days mobility recovery post-admission adjusted for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiology grade, Hospital Frailty Risk Score and prefracture mobility/residence.

RESULTS

Overall, 73% were female and 40% had high frailty risk. Patients who received ≥2 hours of physiotherapy (versus less) had 3% (95% Confidence Interval: 0-6%), 4% (2-6%), and 6% (1-11%) higher adjusted probabilities of discharge home, survival, and outdoor mobility recovery, and 3% (0-6%) lower adjusted probability of readmission. Recipients of exercise (versus mobilisation alone) had 6% (1-12%), 3% (0-7%), and 11% (3-18%) higher adjusted probabilities of discharge home, survival, and outdoor mobility recovery, and 6% (2-10%) lower adjusted probability of readmission. Recipients of 6-7 days physiotherapy (versus 0-2 days) had 8% (5-11%) higher adjusted probability of survival. For patients with dementia, improved probability of survival, discharge home, readmission and indoor mobility recovery were observed with greater physiotherapy access.

CONCLUSION

Greater access to physiotherapy was associated with a higher probability of positive outcomes. For every 100 patients, greater access could equate to an additional eight patients surviving to 30-days and six avoiding 30-day readmission. The findings suggest a potential benefit in terms of home discharge and outdoor mobility recovery. CONTRIBUTION OF THE PAPER.

Standardization of global hip fracture audit could facilitate learning, improve quality, and guide evidence-based practice

Aims

National hip fracture registries audit similar aspects of care but there is variation in the actual data collected; these differences restrict international comparison, benchmarking, and research. The Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) published a revised minimum common dataset (MCD) in 2022 to improve consistency and interoperability. Our aim was to assess compatibility of existing registries with the MCD.

Methods

We compared 17 hip fracture registries covering 20 countries (Argentina; Australia and New Zealand; China; Denmark; England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; Germany; Holland; Ireland; Japan; Mexico; Norway; Pakistan; the Philippines; Scotland; South Korea; Spain; and Sweden), setting each of these against the 20 core and 12 optional fields of the MCD.

Results

The highest MCD adherence was demonstrated by the most recently established registries. The first-generation registries in Scandinavia collect data for 60% of MCD fields, second-generation registries (UK, other European, and Australia and New Zealand) collect for 75%, and third-generation registries collect data for 85% of MCD fields. Five of the 20 core fields were collected by all 17 registries (age; sex; surgery date/time of operation; surgery type; and death during acute admission). Two fields were collected by most (16/17; 94%) registries (date/time of presentation and American Society of Anesthesiologists grade), and five more by the majority (15/17; 88%) registries (type, side, and pathological nature of fracture; anaesthetic modality; and discharge destination). Three core fields were each collected by only 11/17 (65%) registries: prefracture mobility/activities of daily living; cognition on admission; and bone protection medication prescription.

Conclusion

There is moderate but improving compatibility between existing registries and the FFN MCD, and its introduction in 2022 was associated with an improved level of adherence among the most recently established programmes. Greater interoperability could be facilitated by improving consistency of data collection relating to prefracture function, cognition, bone protection, and follow-up duration, and this could improve international collaborative benchmarking, research, and quality improvement.

Organisational factors associated with hospital costs and patient mortality in the 365 days following hip fracture in England and Wales (REDUCE): a record-linkage cohort study

BACKGROUND

Hip fracture care delivery varies between hospitals, which might explain variations in patient outcomes and health costs. The aim of this study was to identify hospital-level organisational factors associated with long-term patient outcomes and costs after hip fracture.

METHODS

REDUCE was a record-linkage cohort study in which national databases for all patients aged 60 years and older who sustained a hip fracture in England and Wales were linked with hospital metrics from 18 organisational data sources. Multilevel models identified organisational factors associated with the case-mix adjusted primary outcomes: cumulative all-cause mortality, days spent in hospital, and inpatient costs over 365 days after hip fracture.

FINDINGS

Between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2019, 178 757 patients with an index hip fracture were identified from 172 hospitals in England and Wales. 126 278 (70·6%) were female, 52 479 (29·4%) were male, and median age was 84 years (IQR 77-89) in England and 83 years (77-89) in Wales. 365 days after hip fracture, 50 354 (28·2%) patients had died. Patients spent a median 21 days (IQR 11-41) in hospital, incurring costs of £14 642 (95% CI 14 600-14 683) per patient, ranging from £10 867 (SD 5880) to £23 188 (17 223) between hospitals. 11 organisational factors were independently associated with mortality, 24 with number of days in hospital, and 25 with inpatient costs. Having all patients assessed by an orthogeriatrician within 72 h of admission was associated with a mean cost saving of £529 (95% CI 148-910) per patient and a lower 365-day mortality (odds ratio 0·85 [95% CI 0·76-0·94]). Consultant orthogeriatrician attendance at clinical governance meetings was associated with cost savings of £356 (95% CI 188-525) and 1·47 fewer days (95% CI 0·89-2·05) in the hospital in the 365 days after hip fracture per patient. The provision of physiotherapy to patients on weekends was associated with a cost saving of £676 (95% CI 67-1285) per patient and with 2·32 fewer days (0·35-4·29) in hospital in the 365 days after hip fracture.

INTERPRETATION

Multiple, potentially modifiable hospital-level organisational factors associated with important clinical outcomes and inpatient costs were identified that should inform initiatives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of hip fracture services.

FUNDING

Versus Arthritis.

Patients' recovery of mobility and return to original residence after hip fracture are associated with multiple modifiable components of hospital service organisation: the REDUCE record-linkage cohort study in England and Wales

BACKGROUND

Hip fractures are devastating injuries causing disability, dependence, and institutionalisation, yet hospital care is highly variable. This study aimed to determine hospital organisational factors associated with recovery of mobility and change in patient residence after hip fracture.

METHODS

A cohort of patients aged 60 + years in England and Wales, who sustained a hip fracture from 2016 to 2019 was examined. Patient-level Hospital Episodes Statistics, National Hip Fracture Database, and mortality records were linked to 101 factors derived from 18 hospital-level organisational metrics. After adjustment for patient case-mix, multilevel models were used to identify organisational factors associated with patient residence at discharge, and mobility and residence at 120 days after hip fracture.

RESULTS

Across 172 hospitals, 165,350 patients survived to discharge, of whom 163,230 (99%) had post-hospital discharge destination recorded. 18,323 (11%) died within 120 days. Among 147,027 survivors, 58,344 (40%) across 143 hospitals had their residence recorded, and 56,959 (39%) across 140 hospitals had their mobility recorded, at 120 days. Nineteen organisational factors independently predicted residence on hospital discharge e.g., return to original residence was 31% (95% confidence interval, CI:17-43%) more likely if the anaesthetic lead for hip fracture had time allocated in their job plan, and 8-13% more likely if hip fracture service clinical governance meetings were attended by an orthopaedic surgeon, physiotherapist or anaesthetist. Seven organisational factors independently predicted residence at 120 days. Patients returning to their pre-fracture residence was 26% (95%CI:4-42%) more likely if hospitals had a dedicated hip fracture ward, and 20% (95%CI:8-30%) more likely if treatment plans were proactively discussed with patients and families on admission. Seventeen organisational factors predicted mobility at 120 days. More patients re-attained their pre-fracture mobility in hospitals where (i) care involved an orthogeriatrician (15% [95%CI:1-28%] improvement), (ii) general anaesthesia was usually accompanied by a nerve block (7% [95%CI:1-12%], and (iii) bedside haemoglobin testing was routine in theatre recovery (13% [95%CI:6-20%]).

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple, potentially modifiable, organisational factors are associated with patient outcomes up to 120 days after a hip fracture, these factors if causal should be targeted by service improvement initiatives to reduce variability, improve hospital hip fracture care, and maximise patient independence.

Current approaches to secondary prevention after hip fracture in England and Wales - an analysis of trends between 2016 and 2020 using the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD)

Hip fractures are strong risk factors for further fractures. However, using the National Hip Fracture Database, we observed that in England and Wales, 64% of patients admitted on oral bisphosphonates were discharged on the same and injectable drug use varies from 0-67% and 0.2%-83.6% were deemed "inappropriate" for bone protection. This variability requires further investigation.

INTRODUCTION

A key aim for the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) is to encourage secondary fracture prevention of the 75,000 patients who break their hip annually in the UK, through bone health assessment and appropriate provision of anti-osteoporosis medication (AOM). We set out to describe trends in anti-osteoporosis medication prescription and examine the types of oral and injectable AOMs being prescribed both before and after a hip fracture.

METHODS

We used data freely available from the NHFD  www.nhfd.co.uk  to analyse trends in oral and injectable AOM prescription across a quarter of a million patients presenting between 2016 and 2020, and more detailed information on the individual type of AOM prescribed for 63,705 patients from 171 hospitals in England and Wales who presented in 2020.

RESULTS

Most patients (88.3%) are not taking any AOM when they present with a hip fracture. Half of all patients (50.8%) were prescribed AOM treatment by the time of discharge, but the proportion deemed 'inappropriate for AOM' varied hugely (0.2-83.6%) in different hospitals. Nearly two-thirds (64.2%) of those previously taking an oral bisphosphonate were simply discharged on the same type of medication. The total number of patients discharged on oral medication fell by over a quarter in these five years. The number discharged on injectables increased by nearly three-quarters to 14.2% over the same period, but remains hugely variable across the country, with rates ranging from 0-67% across different units.

CONCLUSION

A recent hip fracture is a strong risk factor for future fractures. The huge variability in approaches, and in particular the use of injectables, in different trauma units across England and Wales requires further investigation.

The impact of adopting low-molecular-weight heparin in place of aspirin as routine thromboprophylaxis for patients with hip fracture

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

In 2010, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended the use of anticoagulants rather than aspirin as pharmacological thromboprophylaxis after hip fracture. We examine the impact of implementing this change in guidance on the clinical incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

STUDY DESIGN

Demographic, radiographic and clinical data were retrospectively collected for 5039 patients admitted to a single tertiary centre in the UK for hip fracture between 2007 and 2017. We calculated rates of lower-limb DVT and examined the impact of the June 2010 change of departmental policy, from use of aspirin to use of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) in hip fracture patients.

RESULTS

Doppler scans were performed in 400 patients in the 180 days after a hip fracture, and identified 40 ipsilateral and 14 contralateral DVTs (p<0.001). The rate of DVT reduced significantly following the 2010 change in departmental policy from aspirin to LMWH in these patients (1.62% vs 0.83%, p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of clinical DVT halved following the change from aspirin to LMWH for pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, but the number needed to treat was 127. A figure of <1% for the incidence of clinical DVT in a unit that routinely uses LMWH monotherapy following hip fracture provides a context for discussions of alternative strategies, and for power calculations for future research. These figures are important to policy makers and to researchers as they will inform the design of the comparative studies on thromboprophylaxis agents for which NICE has called.

Caring for patients with periprosthetic femoral fractures across England and Wales in 2021

Aims

The aim of this study was to describe services available to patients with periprosthetic femoral fracture (PPFF) in England and Wales, with focus on variation between centres and areas for care improvement.

Methods

This work used data freely available from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) facilities survey in 2021, which asked 21 questions about the care of patients with PPFFs, and nine relating to clinical decision-making around a hypothetical case.

Results

Of 174 centres contributing data to the NHFD, 161 provided full responses and 139 submitted data on PPFF. Lack of resources was cited as the main reason for not submitting data. Surgeon (44.6%) and theatre (29.7%) availability were reported as the primary reasons for surgical delay beyond 36 hours. Less than half had a formal process for a specialist surgeon to operate on PPFF at least every other day. The median number of specialist surgeons at each centre was four (interquartile range (IQR) 3 to 6) for PPFF around both hips and knees. Around one-third of centres reported having one dedicated theatre list per week. The routine discussion of patients with PPFF at local and regional multidisciplinary team meetings was lower than that for all-cause revision arthroplasties. Six centres reported transferring all patients with PPFF around a hip joint to another centre for surgery, and this was an occasional practice for a further 34. The management of the hypothetical clinical scenario was varied, with 75 centres proposing ORIF, 35 suggested revision surgery and 48 proposed a combination of both revision and fixation.

Conclusion

There is considerable variation in both the organization of PPFF services England and Wales, and in the approach taken to an individual case. The rising incidence of PPFF and complexity of these patients highlight the need for pathway development. The adoption of networks may reduce variability and improve outcomes for patients with PPFF.

Risk Factors and 120-day Functional Outcomes of Delirium After Hip Fracture Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study Using the UK National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD)

OBJECTIVES

To identify risk factors of postoperative delirium among patients with hip fracture with normal preoperative cognition, and examine associations with returning home or recovery of mobility.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

We used the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) to identify patients presenting with hip fracture in England (2018-2019), but excluded those with abnormal cognition (abbreviated mental test score [AMTS] < 8) on presentation.

METHODS

We examined the results of routine delirium screening performed using the 4 A's Test (4AT), to assess alertness, attention, acute change, and orientation in a 4-item mental test. Associations between 4AT score and return home or to outdoor mobility at 120 days were estimated, and risk factors identified for abnormal 4AT scores: (1) 4AT ≥4 suggesting delirium and (2) 4AT = 1-3 being an intermediate score not excluding delirium.

RESULTS

Overall, 63,502 patients (63%) had a preoperative AMTS ≥8, in whom a postoperative 4AT score ≥4 suggestive of delirium was seen in 4454 (7%). These patients were less likely to return home (odds ratio [OR], 0.46; 95% CI, 0.38-0.55) or regain outdoor mobility (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.53-0.75) by 120 days. Multiple factors including any deficit in preoperative AMTS and malnutrition were associated with higher risk of 4AT ≥4, while use of preoperative nerve blocks was associated with lower risk (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.81-0.95). Poorer outcomes were also seen in 12,042 (19%) patients with 4AT = 1-3; additional risk factors associated with this score included socioeconomic deprivation and surgical procedure types that were not compliant with National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidance.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Delirium after hip fracture surgery significantly reduces the likelihood of returning home or to outdoor mobility. Our findings underline the importance of measures to prevent postoperative delirium, and aid the identification of high-risk patients for whom delirium prevention might potentially improve outcomes.

Complex organisational factors influence multidisciplinary care for patients with hip fractures: a qualitative study of barriers and facilitators to service delivery

BACKGROUND

Hip fractures are devastating injuries, with high health and social care costs. Despite national standards and guidelines, substantial variation persists in hospital delivery of hip fracture care and patient outcomes. This qualitative study aimed to identify organisational processes that can be targeted to reduce variation in service provision and improve patient care.

METHODS

Interviews were conducted with 40 staff delivering hip fracture care in four UK hospitals. Twenty-three anonymised British Orthopaedic Association reports addressing under-performing hip fracture services were analysed. Following Thematic Analysis of both data sources, themes were transposed onto domains both along and across the hip fracture care pathway.

RESULTS

Effective pre-operative care required early alert of patient admission and the availability of staff in emergency departments to undertake assessments, investigations and administer analgesia. Coordinated decision-making between medical and surgical teams regarding surgery was key, with strategies to ensure flexible but efficient trauma lists. Orthogeriatric services were central to effective service delivery, with collaborative working and supervision of junior doctors, specialist nurses and therapists. Information sharing via multidisciplinary meetings was facilitated by joined up information and technology systems. Service provision was improved by embedding hip fracture pathway documents in induction and training and ensuring their consistent use by the whole team. Hospital executive leadership was important in prioritising hip fracture care and advocating service improvement. Nominated specialty leads, who jointly owned the pathway and met regularly, actively steered services and regularly monitored performance, investigating lapses and consistently feeding back to the multidisciplinary team.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight the importance of representation from all teams and departments involved in the multidisciplinary care pathway, to deliver integrated hip fracture care. Complex, potentially modifiable, barriers and facilitators to care delivery were identified, informing recommendations to improve effective hip fracture care delivery, and assist hospital services when re-designing and implementing service improvements.

Anti-osteoporosis medication dispensing by clinical commissioning groups in England - an ecological study of variability in practice and of the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic

PURPOSE

To investigate whether the rate of Anti-Osteoporosis Medication (AOM) dispensing was related to prevalence of risk factors and hip fracture incidence in the local population.

METHODS

The Open Prescribing database was used to analyse dispensed AOM at the level of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in England. Male Healthy Life Expectancy (MHLE), Female Healthy Life Expectancy (FHLE), the prevalence of smoking and active adults, the incidence of hip fracture and of alcohol related hospital admissions, and local dispensing of a comparator drug (atorvastatin) were considered as predictor variables. Linear and multilinear regression were performed. Using atorvastatin as a comparator, AOM dispensing was compared after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic with the same quarter the previous year.

RESULTS

Rates of AOM per 1000 people aged over 65 years in a CCG area varied between 379.2 and 1129.1, with a mean of 670.3. Population risk factors were individually related to the amount of AOM dispensed in an area. Collectively, local activity levels in adults (p = 0.042) and local hip fracture incidence (p = 0.003) were significantly negatively correlated with rates of AOM dispensed. Rates of alendronate dispensing fell significantly at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic (p < 0.001), whilst atorvastatin dispensing rates significantly increased (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Lower rates of AOM dispensing were seen in areas with a higher proportion of active adults and higher incidence of hip fracture. Multidisciplinary services should be developed to address this care gap with consideration given to local population risk factors. Community pharmacists are ideally placed to play a vital role in osteoporosis management.

Variation of implant use in A1 and A2 trochanteric hip fractures : a study from the National Hip Fracture Database of England and Wales

AIMS

Patients with A1 and A2 trochanteric hip fractures represent a substantial proportion of trauma caseload, and national guidelines recommend that sliding hip screws (SHS) should be used for these injuries. Despite this, intramedullary nails (IMNs) are routinely implanted in many hospitals, at extra cost and with unproven patient outcome benefit. We have used data from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) to examine the use of SHS and IMN for A1 and A2 hip fractures at a national level, and to define the cost implications of management decisions that run counter to national guidelines.

METHODS

We used the NHFD to identify all operations for fixation of trochanteric fractures in England and Wales between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021. A uniform price band from each of three hip fracture implant manufacturers was used to set cost implications alongside variation in implant use.

RESULTS

We identified 18,156 A1 and A2 trochanteric hip fractures in 162 centres. Of these, 13,483 (74.3%) underwent SHS fixation, 2,352 (13.0%) were managed with short IMN, and 2,321 (12.8%) were managed with long IMN. Total cost of IMN added up to £1.89 million in 2021, and the clinical justification for this is unclear since rates of IMN use varied from 0% to 97% in different centres.

CONCLUSION

Most trochanteric hip fractures are managed with SHS, in keeping with national guidelines. There is considerable variance between hospitals for implant choice, despite the lack of evidence for clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness of more expensive nailing systems. This suggests either a lack of awareness of national guidelines or a choice not to follow them. We encourage provider units to reassess their practice if outwith the national norm. Funding bodies should examine implant use closely in this population to prevent resource waste at a time of considerable health austerity.Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(10):741-745.

The impact of COVID-19 on mortality after hip fracture : a population cohort study from England

AIMS

Hip fracture commonly affects the frailest patients, of whom many are care-dependent, with a disproportionate risk of contracting COVID-19. We examined the impact of COVID-19 infection on hip fracture mortality in England.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study of patients with hip fracture recorded in the National Hip Fracture Database between 1 February 2019 and 31 October 2020 in England. Data were linked to Hospital Episode Statistics to quantify patient characteristics and comorbidities, Office for National Statistics mortality data, and Public Health England's SARS-CoV-2 testing results. Multivariable Cox regression examined determinants of 90-day mortality. Excess mortality attributable to COVID-19 was quantified using Quasi-Poisson models.

RESULTS

Analysis of 102,900 hip fractures (42,630 occurring during the pandemic) revealed that among those with COVID-19 infection at presentation (n = 1,120) there was a doubling of 90-day mortality; hazard ratio (HR) 2.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.89 to 2.31), while the HR for infections arising between eight and 30 days after presentation (n = 1,644) the figure was greater at 2.51 (95% CI 2.31 to 2.73). Malnutrition (1.45 (95% CI 1.19 to 1.77)) and nonoperative treatment (2.94 (95% CI 2.18 to 3.95)) were the only modifiable risk factors for death in COVID-19-positive patients. Patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 more than two weeks prior to hip fracture initially had better survival compared to those who contracted COVID-19 around the time of their hip fracture; however, survival rapidly declined and by 365 days the combination of hip fracture and COVID-19 infection was associated with a 50% mortality rate. Between 1 January and 30 June 2020, 1,273 (99.7% CI 1,077 to 1,465) excess deaths occurred within 90 days of hip fracture, representing an excess mortality of 23% (99.7% CI 20% to 26%), with most deaths occurring within 30 days.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 infection more than doubles the rate of early hip fracture mortality. Those contracting infection between 8 and 30 days after initial presentation are at even higher mortality risk, signalling the potential for targeted interventions during this period to improve survival.Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(10):1156-1167.

The influence of mode of anaesthesia on perioperative outcomes in people with hip fracture: a prospective cohort study from the National Hip Fracture Database for England, Wales and Northern Ireland

BACKGROUND

Delirium is common after hip fracture surgery, affecting up to 50% of patients. The incidence of delirium may be influenced by mode and conduct of anaesthesia. We examined the effect of spinal anaesthesia (with and without sedation) compared with general anaesthesia on early outcomes following hip fracture surgery, including delirium.

METHODS

We used prospective data on 107,028 patients (2018 to 2019) from the National Hip Fracture Database, which records all hip fractures in patients aged 60 years and over in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Patients were grouped by anaesthesia: general (58,727; 55%), spinal without sedation (31,484; 29%), and spinal with sedation (16,817; 16%). Outcomes (4AT score on post-operative delirium screening; mobilisation day one post-operatively; length of hospital stay; discharge destination; 30-day mortality) were compared between anaesthetic groups using multivariable logistic and linear regression models.

RESULTS

Compared with general anaesthesia, spinal anaesthesia without sedation (but not spinal with sedation) was associated with a significantly reduced risk of delirium (odds ratio (OR)=0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.92-0.98), increased likelihood of day one mobilisation (OR=1.06, CI=1.02-1.10) and return to original residence (OR=1.04, CI=1.00-1.07). Spinal without sedation (p<0.001) and spinal with sedation (p=0.001) were both associated with shorter hospital stays compared with general anaesthesia. No differences in mortality were observed between anaesthetic groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Spinal and general anaesthesia achieve similar outcomes for patients with hip fracture. However, this equivalence appears to reflect improved perioperative outcomes (including a reduced risk of delirium, increased likelihood of mobilisation day one post-operatively, shorter length of hospital stay and improved likelihood of returning to previous residence on discharge) among the sub-set of patients who received spinal anaesthesia without sedation. The role and effect of sedation should be studied in future trials of hip fracture patients undergoing spinal anaesthesia.

Multiple hospital organisational factors are associated with adverse patient outcomes post-hip fracture in England and Wales: the REDUCE record-linkage cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Despite established standards and guidelines, substantial variation remains in the delivery of hip fracture care across the United Kingdom. We aimed to determine which hospital-level organisational factors predict adverse patient outcomes in the months following hip fracture.

METHODS

We examined a national record-linkage cohort of 178,757 patients aged ≥60 years who sustained a hip fracture in England and Wales in 2016-19. Patient-level hospital admissions datasets, National Hip Fracture Database and mortality data were linked to metrics from 18 hospital-level organisational-level audits and reports. Multilevel models identified organisational factors, independent of patient case-mix, associated with three patient outcomes: length of hospital stay (LOS), 30-day all-cause mortality and emergency 30-day readmission.

RESULTS

Across hospitals mean LOS ranged from 12 to 41.9 days, mean 30-day mortality from 3.7 to 10.4% and mean readmission rates from 3.7 to 30.3%, overall means were 21.4 days, 7.3% and 15.3%, respectively. In all, 22 organisational factors were independently associated with LOS; e.g. a hospital's ability to mobilise >90% of patients promptly after surgery predicted a 2-day shorter LOS (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-2.6). Ten organisational factors were independently associated with 30-day mortality; e.g. discussion of patient experience feedback at clinical governance meetings and provision of prompt surgery to >80% of patients were each associated with 10% lower mortality (95%CI: 5-15%). Nine organisational factors were independently associated with readmissions; e.g. readmissions were 17% lower if hospitals reported how soon community therapy would start after discharge (95%CI: 9-24%).

CONCLUSIONS

Receipt of hip fracture care should be reliable and equitable across the country. We have identified multiple, potentially modifiable, organisational factors associated with important patient outcomes following hip fracture.

Predictors of returning home after hip fracture: a prospective cohort study using the UK National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD)

INTRODUCTION

our objective was to describe trends in returning home after hospitalisation for hip fracture and identify predictive factors of this important patient-focussed outcome.

METHODS

a cohort of hip fracture patients from England and Wales (2018-2019) resident in their own home pre-admission were analysed to identify patient and service factors associated with returning home after hospital discharge, and with living in their own home at 120 days. Geographical variation was also analysed.

RESULTS

analysis of returning home at discharge included 87,797 patients; 57,104 (65%) were discharged home. Patient factors associated with lower likelihood of discharge home included cognitive impairment (odds ratio (OR) 0.60 [95% CI: 0.57, 0.62]), malnutrition (OR 0.81 [0.76, 0.86]), being at risk of malnutrition (OR 0.81 [0.78, 0.85]) and experiencing delay to surgery due to reversal of anti-coagulant medication (OR 0.84 [0.77, 0.92]). Corresponding service factors included surgery delay due to hospital logistical reasons (OR 0.91 [0.87, 0.95]) and early morning admission between 4:00 and 7:59 am (OR 0.83 [0.78, 0.89]). Nerve block prior to arrival at the operating theatre was associated with higher likelihood of discharge home (OR 1.07 [1.03, 1.11]). Most of these associations were stronger when analysing the outcome 'living in their own home at 120 days', in which two out of 11 geographic regions were found to have significantly more patients returning home.

CONCLUSION

we identify numerous modifiable factors associated with short-term and medium-term return to own home after hip fracture, in addition to significant geographical variation. These findings should support improvements to care and inform future research.

Indirect effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital mortality in patients with hip fracture: a competing risk survival analysis using linked administrative data

BACKGROUND

Hip fracture is a leading cause of disability and mortality among older people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, orthopaedic care pathways in the National Health Service in England were restructured to manage pressures on hospital capacity. We examined the indirect consequences of the pandemic for hospital mortality among older patients with hip fracture, admitted from care homes or the community.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of linked care home and hospital inpatient data for patients with hip fracture aged 65 years and over admitted to hospitals in England during the first year of the pandemic (1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021) or during the previous year. We performed survival analysis, adjusting for case mix and COVID-19 infection, and considered live discharge as a competing risk. We present cause-specific hazard ratios (HR_CS) for the effect of admission year on hospital mortality risk.

RESULTS

During the first year of the pandemic, there were 55 648 hip fracture admissions: a 5.2% decrease on the previous year. 9.5% of patients had confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Hospital stays were substantially shorter (p<0.05), and there was a higher daily chance of discharge (HR_CS 1.40, 95% CI 1.38 to 1.41). Overall hip fracture inpatient mortality increased (7.2% in 2020/2021 vs 6.4% in 2019/2020), but patients without concomitant COVID-19 infection had lower mortality rates compared with the year before (5.3%). Admission during the pandemic was associated with a 11% increase in the daily risk of hospital death for patients with hip fracture (HR_CS 1.11, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.16).

CONCLUSIONS

Although COVID-19 infections led to increases in hospital mortality, overall hospital mortality risk for older patients with hip fracture remained largely stable during the first year of the pandemic.

995 MULTIPLE ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS IMPROVE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CARE DELIVERY TO PATIENTS WITH HIP FRACTURES: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Introduction

Hip fractures are devastating injuries which incur high healthcare costs. Despite national standards and guidelines, there is substantial variation in hospital delivery of hip fracture care and in patient outcomes. This study aimed to understand organisational processes that facilitate successful delivery of hip fracture services.

Method

Forty qualitative interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals involved in delivering hip fracture care at four English hospitals. Interview data were supplemented with documentary analysis of 23 anonymised British Orthopaedic Association hospital-initiated peer-review reports of services. Data were analysed thematically, with themes transposed onto key components of the care pathway.

Results

We identified multiple aspects of service organisation that facilitated good care delivery. At admission, standardisation of training in nerve block administration impacted care delivery. During hospital stays, service delivery was improved by integrated, shared-care between orthopaedics and orthogeriatrics, and by strategies to improve trauma list efficiency. Adequately staffed orthogeriatric services and the ‘right’ skills and seniority mix were important to holistic care provision. Placing patients on designated hip fracture wards concentrated staff expertise. Collaborative working was achieved through multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings between key staff, protocols and care pathways that defined roles and responsibilities, MDT documentation, ‘joined-up’ IT systems within hospitals and with primary care, and shared working spaces such as shared offices and onwards. Trauma and hip fracture coordinators organised care processes and provided a valuable central point of contact within teams. Nominated leads, representing diverse specialties, worked together in MDT planning meetings to develop joint protocols, establish audit priorities, and agree shared goals. Routine, comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of service delivery, with findings shared throughout the MDT, was beneficial.

Conclusion

Our study has characterised potentially modifiable elements of successful hip fracture service delivery. Findings are intended to help services overcome organisational barriers towards delivery of high-quality hip fracture services.

1027 DEVELOPING A MINIMUM COMMON DATASET FOR HIP FRACTURE AUDIT

Introduction

National hip fracture audits share a common heritage in the work of Rikshöft and the Standardised Audit of Hip Fracture in Europe. However, as more countries develop audit programmes and these evolve to address local needs, divergence in the data they collect compromises their scope for learning from clinical, audit and quality improvement work in other nations.

Method

In 2021 we compared all ten established national hip fracture audits: England/Wales/Northern Ireland; Scotland; Australia/New Zealand; Ireland; Germany; the Netherlands; Sweden; Norway; Denmark; Spain. We tabulated all questions included in each, and cross-referenced them against the 32 questions of the minimum common dataset (MCD) defined by the global Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) in 2014. We identified those consistently used in most national audits, and additional fields that might need to form part of a revised MCD. Any MCD must meet the needs of both developed and developing countries. We presented these findings at the Asia-Pacific FFN meeting, and used an online questionnaire to capture feedback from different countries. A draft revision was presented at the Global FFN conference in September 2021, with feedback again used to finalise this revised MCD.

Results

We tabulated a total of 215 possible questions. Only 72 (34%) were used in &gt;1 national audit, and only 32 (15%) by more than half of audits. Adherence to the 2014 MCD was disappointing; all 32 fields were used by at least one audit, but 5/32 only by one audit. Only 21/32 (65%) were used in the majority, and only three (anaesthetic grade, operation and date/time of surgery) by all ten established audits.

Discussion

This revised MCD will help aspirant nations establish new audit programmes, facilitate the integration of novel analytic techniques and greater multinational collaboration, and serve as an internationally-accepted standard for monitoring and improving hip fracture services.

946 MULTIPLE ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ADVERSE PATIENT OUTCOMES POST HIP FRACTURE IN HOSPITALS IN ENGLAND & WALES

Introduction

Older adults who sustain a hip fracture require complex multidisciplinary care, which can challenge organisational structures within hospitals. Despite standards and guidelines, substantial variation remains in hip fracture care delivery across the UK. We aimed to determine which hospital-level organisational factors predict adverse patient outcomes in the post injury period.

Method

A cohort of 178,757 patients aged 60+ years in England and Wales (2016–19) who sustained a hip fracture was examined. Patient-level Hospital Episodes Statistics, National Hip Fracture Database, and mortality data were linked to metrics from 18 hospital-level organisational audits/reports/series. Multilevel models determined the organisational factors, independent of patient case-mix, associated with three patient outcomes: length of hospital stay (LOS), 30-day all-cause mortality, and emergency 30-day readmission.

Results

Overall LOS was mean 21 days (standard deviation, 20); 13,126 (7.3%) died within 30-days; and 25,239 (15.3%) were readmitted. 25 organisational factors independently predicted LOS: for example, a hospital’s ability to promptly mobilise ≥90% of patients was associated with a 2-day (95%CI:1.3–2.7) shorter LOS, and hospitals where all patients received orthogeriatric assessment within 72 hours of admission had mean 1.5-day (95%CI:0.6–2.3) shorter LOS. Ten organisational factors independently predicted 30-day mortality: providing prompt surgery (≤36 hours from admission) to &gt;80% patients was associated with the same 10% reduction in mortality (95%CI:4–15%), as was discussion of ‘patient experience’ feedback at clinical governance meetings (95%CI:5–15%). Nine organisational factors independently predicted readmission: knowledge of time from discharge to start of community therapy was associated with 17% (95%CI:9–24%) lower readmission rates. Organisational delivery of clinical governance, surgery, and physiotherapy were associated with all outcomes.

Conclusion

Multiple, potentially modifiable, organisational factors are associated with important patient outcomes post-hip fracture. These factors, if causal, indicate auditable components of hospital care where interventions can be targeted to reduce variability in hip fracture care delivery, to improve patient outcomes.

994 CURRENT SECONDARY PREVENTION AFTER HIP FRACTURE IN ENGLAND AND WALES—RESULTS FROM THE NATIONAL HIP FRACTURE DATABASE (NHFD)

Introduction

National clinical audit seeks to enhance the quality of care of the 75,000 people who break their hip in the UK each year. A key aim for the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) is to encourage secondary fracture prevention through bone health assessment and the appropriate provision of anti-osteoporosis medication (AOM). We set out to describe trends in anti-osteoporosis medication prescription, and to examine the types of oral and injectable AOM being prescribed both before and after a hip fracture.

Method

We used data freely available from the NHFD www.nhfd.co.uk to analyse trends in oral and injectable AOM prescription across a quarter of a million patients presenting between 2016 and 2020, and more detailed information on the individual type of AOM prescribed for 63,284 patients from 171 hospitals in England and Wales who presented in 2020.

Results

Most patients (88.2%) were not taking any AOM when they presented with hip fracture. Half of all patients (49.9%) were prescribed AOM treatment by the time of discharge, but the proportion deemed ‘inappropriate for AOM’ varied hugely (0.2–83.6%) in different hospitals. Nearly two thirds (64%) of those who were previously taking an oral bisphosphonate were simply discharged on the same type of medication. The total number of patients started on oral medication fell by 11.4% over 5 years. The number started on injectable AOM almost doubled to 14.4% over the same period, but remains hugely variable across the country, with rates ranging 0–67% across different units.

Conclusion

A recent hip fracture is a strong risk factor for future fractures. If teams are to learn from each other’s experience and patients are to be protected against further fragility fractures the huge variability in approaches, and in particular to the use of injectables, in different trauma units across England and Wales requires further investigation.

996 EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON HIP FRACTURE CARE IN WALES - AN ANALYSIS OF HOW ORGANISATION OF SERVICES AFFECTED HOSPITAL LENGTH OF STAY

Introduction

The National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) report that length of stay (LOS) fell (from 19.7 to 16.9 days) in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, as patients, families, cares, and staff in health and social care responded to this challenge. This analysis examines trends in Wales where LOS can be profiled very completely as it predominantly remains within a single health board.

Method

We used data from the NHFD www.nhfd.co.uk to define pre-pandemic LOS (in the year to 1st March 2020) and compare this with the following 18 months. We set figures for all 12 hospitals in Wales against the changes in service organisation which each reported to the NHFD's 2020 Facilities Survey, and against the local incidence of COVID-19 among their hip fracture patients.

Results

Monthly LOS fell markedly at the pandemic's onset; the national figure falling 8.3 days (from 31.2–22.9 days) between February and June 2020. Overall LOS in Wales fell by 1.6 days across the year as a whole, but this ranged from a fall of 6.3 days in one hospital to a rise of 4.5 days in another. Five hospitals reported a rise in LOS. These hospitals had either never had orthogeriatric support, or lost this to COVID-19 duties, they did not achieve the initial fall in LOS in response to the pandemic, and they reported pressures with ‘outliers’ after the first wave. Unlike other units in Wales they cited problems with workload, particularly in terms of physiotherapy.

Discussion

NHFD data provide a detailed picture of hospitals’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and allow us to examine service factors underpinning their resilience in the face of this challenge. More detailed work should be carried out for the 150 hospitals in England using the same sources of data.

Developing a minimum common dataset for hip fracture audit to help countries set up national audits that can support international comparisons

AIMS

The aim of this study was to explore current use of the Global Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) Minimum Common Dataset (MCD) within established national hip fracture registries, and to propose a revised MCD to enable international benchmarking for hip fracture care.

METHODS

We compared all ten established national hip fracture registries: England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; Scotland; Australia and New Zealand; Republic of Ireland; Germany; the Netherlands; Sweden; Norway; Denmark; and Spain. We tabulated all questions included in each registry, and cross-referenced them against the 32 questions of the MCD dataset. Having identified those questions consistently used in the majority of national audits, and which additional fields were used less commonly, we then used consensus methods to establish a revised MCD.

RESULTS

A total of 215 unique questions were used across the ten registries. Only 72 (34%) were used in more than one national audit, and only 32 (15%) by more than half of audits. Only one registry used all 32 questions from the 2014 MCD, and five questions were only collected by a single registry. Only 21 of the 32 questions in the MCD were used in the majority of national audits. Only three fields (anaesthetic grade, operation, and date/time of surgery) were used by all ten established audits. We presented these findings at the Asia-Pacific FFN meeting, and used an online questionnaire to capture feedback from expert clinicians from different countries. A draft revision of the MCD was then presented to all 95 nations represented at the Global FFN conference in September 2021, with online feedback again used to finalize the revised MCD.

CONCLUSION

The revised MCD will help aspirant nations establish new registry programmes, facilitate the integration of novel analytic techniques and greater multinational collaboration, and serve as an internationally-accepted standard for monitoring and improving hip fracture services. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(6):721-728.

The impact of adopting low-molecular-weight heparin in place of aspirin as routine thromboprophylaxis for patients with hip fracture

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

In 2010, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended the use of anticoagulants rather than aspirin as pharmacological thromboprophylaxis after hip fracture. We examine the impact of implementing this change in guidance on the clinical incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

STUDY DESIGN

Demographic, radiographic and clinical data were retrospectively collected for 5039 patients admitted to a single tertiary centre in the UK for hip fracture between 2007 and 2017. We calculated rates of lower-limb DVT and examined the impact of the June 2010 change of departmental policy, from use of aspirin to use of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) in hip fracture patients.

RESULTS

Doppler scans were performed in 400 patients in the 180 days after a hip fracture, and identified 40 ipsilateral and 14 contralateral DVTs (p<0.001). The rate of DVT reduced significantly following the 2010 change in departmental policy from aspirin to LMWH in these patients (1.62% vs 0.83%, p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of clinical DVT halved following the change from aspirin to LMWH for pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, but the number needed to treat was 127. A figure of <1% for the incidence of clinical DVT in a unit that routinely uses LMWH monotherapy following hip fracture provides a context for discussions of alternative strategies, and for power calculations for future research. These figures are important to policy makers and to researchers as they will inform the design of the comparative studies on thromboprophylaxis agents for which NICE has called.

The impact of the frequency, duration and type of physiotherapy on discharge after hip fracture surgery: a secondary analysis of UK national linked audit data

Additional physiotherapy in the first postoperative week was associated with fewer days to discharge after hip fracture surgery. A 7-day physiotherapy service in the first postoperative week should be considered as a new key performance indicator in evaluating the quality of care for patients admitted with a hip fracture.

INTRODUCTION

To examine the association between physiotherapy in the first week after hip fracture surgery and discharge from acute hospital.

METHODS

We linked data from the UK Physiotherapy Hip Fracture Sprint Audit to hospital records for 5395 patients with hip fracture in May and June 2017. We estimated the association between the number of days patients received physiotherapy in the first postoperative week; its overall duration (< 2 h, ≥ 2 h; 30-min increment) and type (mobilisation alone, mobilisation and exercise) and the cumulative probability of discharge from acute hospital over 30 days, using proportional odds regression adjusted for confounders and the competing risk of death.

RESULTS

The crude and adjusted odds ratios of discharge were 1.24 (95% CI 1.19-1.30) and 1.26 (95% CI 1.19-1.33) for an additional day of physiotherapy, 1.34 (95% CI 1.18-1.52) and 1.33 (95% CI 1.12-1.57) for ≥ 2 versus < 2 h physiotherapy, and 1.11 (95% CI 1.08-1.15) and 1.10 (95% CI 1.05-1.15) for an additional 30-min of physiotherapy. Physiotherapy type was not associated with discharge.

CONCLUSION

We report an association between physiotherapy and discharge after hip fracture. An average UK hospital admitting 375 patients annually may save 456 bed-days if current provision increased so all patients with hip fracture received physiotherapy on 6-7 days in the first postoperative week. A 7-day physiotherapy service totalling at least 2 h in the first postoperative week may be considered a key performance indicator of acute care quality after hip fracture.

660 PHYSIOTHERAPISTS PERCEPTIONS OF MECHANISMS FOR OBSERVED VARIATION IN PRACTICE DURING EARLY POSTOPERATIVE PHASE AFTER HIP FRACTURE

Objective

To explore physiotherapists’ perceptions of mechanisms to explain observed variation in early postoperative practice after hip fracture surgery demonstrated in a national audit.

Methods

A qualitative semi-structured interview study of 21 physiotherapists working on orthopaedic wards at 7 hospitals with different durations of physiotherapy during a recent audit. Thematic analysis of interviews drawing on Normalisation Process Theory to aid interpretation of findings.

Results

Four themes were identified: achieving protocolised and personalised care; patient and carer engagement; multidisciplinary team engagement across the care continuum; and strategies for service improvement. Most expressed variation from protocol was legitimate when driven by what is deemed clinically appropriate for a given patient. This tailored approach was deemed essential to optimise patient and carer engagement. Participants reported inconsistent degrees of engagement from the multidisciplinary team attributing this to competing workload priorities, interpreting ‘postoperative physiotherapy’ as a single professional activity rather than a care delivery approach, plus lack of integration between hospital and community care. All participants recognised changes needed at both structural and process levels to improve their services.

Conclusion

Physiotherapists highlighted an inherent conflict between their intention to deliver protocolised care while allowing for an individual patient-tailored approach. This conflict has implications for how audit results should be interpreted, how future clinical guidelines are written, and how physiotherapists are trained. Physiotherapists also described additional factors explaining variation in practice which may be addressed through increased engagement of the multidisciplinary team and resources for additional staffing and advanced clinical roles.

IMPACT-Global Hip Fracture Audit: Nosocomial infection, risk prediction and prognostication, minimum reporting standards and global collaborative audit. Lessons from an international multicentre study of 7,090 patients conducted in 14 nations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aims

This international study aimed to assess: 1) the prevalence of preoperative and postoperative COVID-19 among patients with hip fracture, 2) the effect on 30-day mortality, and 3) clinical factors associated with the infection and with mortality in COVID-19-positive patients.

Methods

A multicentre collaboration among 112 centres in 14 countries collected data on all patients presenting with a hip fracture between 1st March-31st May 2020. Demographics, residence, place of injury, presentation blood tests, Nottingham Hip Fracture Score, time to surgery, management, ASA grade, length of stay, COVID-19 and 30-day mortality status were recorded.

Results

A total of 7090 patients were included, with a mean age of 82.2 (range 50–104) years and 4959 (69.9%) being female. Of 651 (9.2%) patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 225 (34.6%) were positive at presentation and 426 (65.4%) were positive postoperatively. Positive COVID-19 status was independently associated with male sex (odds ratio (OR) 1.38, p = 0.001), residential care (OR 2.15, p < 0.001), inpatient fall (OR 2.23, p = 0.003), cancer (OR 0.63, p = 0.009), ASA grades 4 (OR 1.59, p = 0.008) or 5 (OR 8.28, p < 0.001), and longer admission (OR 1.06 for each increasing day, p < 0.001). Patients with COVID-19 at any time had a significantly lower chance of 30-day survival versus those without COVID-19 (72.7% versus 92.6%, p < 0.001). COVID-19 was independently associated with an increased 30-day mortality risk (hazard ratio (HR) 2.83, p < 0.001). Increasing age (HR 1.03, p = 0.028), male sex (HR 2.35, p < 0.001), renal disease (HR 1.53, p = 0.017), and pulmonary disease (HR 1.45, p = 0.039) were independently associated with a higher 30-day mortality risk in patients with COVID-19 when adjusting for confounders.

Conclusion

The prevalence of COVID-19 in hip fracture patients during the first wave of the pandemic was 9%, and was independently associated with a three-fold increased 30-day mortality risk. Among COVID-19-positive patients, those who were older, male, with renal or pulmonary disease had a significantly higher 30-day mortality risk.

Orthopaedic physiotherapists' perceptions of mechanisms for observed variation in the implementation of physiotherapy practices in the early postoperative phase after hip fracture: a UK qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

to explore physiotherapists' perceptions of mechanisms to explain observed variation in early postoperative practice after hip fracture surgery demonstrated in a national audit.

METHODS

a qualitative semi-structured interview study of 21 physiotherapists working on orthopaedic wards at seven hospitals with different durations of physiotherapy during a recent audit. Thematic analysis of interviews drawing on Normalisation Process Theory to aid interpretation of findings.

RESULTS

four themes were identified: achieving protocolised and personalised care; patient and carer engagement; multidisciplinary team engagement across the care continuum and strategies for service improvement. Most expressed variation from protocol was legitimate when driven by what is deemed clinically appropriate for a given patient. This tailored approach was deemed essential to optimise patient and carer engagement. Participants reported inconsistent degrees of engagement from the multidisciplinary team attributing this to competing workload priorities, interpreting 'postoperative physiotherapy' as a single professional activity rather than a care delivery approach, plus lack of integration between hospital and community care. All participants recognised changes needed at both structural and process levels to improve their services.

CONCLUSION

physiotherapists highlighted an inherent conflict between their intention to deliver protocolised care and allowing for an individual patient-tailored approach. This conflict has implications for how audit results should be interpreted, how future clinical guidelines are written and how physiotherapists are trained. Physiotherapists also described additional factors explaining variation in practice, which may be addressed through increased engagement of the multidisciplinary team and resources for additional staffing and advanced clinical roles.

Geographical variation in surgical care and mortality following hip fracture in England: a cohort study using the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD)

We describe variation across geographical regions of England in operations undertaken following presentation of hip fracture and in 30-day mortality. Some significant geographic variation in 30-day mortality was observed particularly for patients with trochanteric hip fractures and warrants further investigation of other aspects of post-hip fracture care INTRODUCTION: Mortality after hip fracture has improved considerably in the UK over recent decades. Our aim here was to describe geographical variation in type of operation performed and 30-day mortality amongst patients in England with hip fracture.

METHODS

The National Hip Fracture Database was used to carry out a prospective cohort study of nearly all over-60 year olds with hip fracture in England. These data were linked to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), allowing us to explore regional variation in the operations performed for three fracture types (intracapsular, trochanteric and subtrochanteric), and use logistic regression models adjusted for demographic and clinical factors to describe associated 30-day mortality.

RESULTS

NHFD recorded data for 64,211 patients who underwent surgery in England during 2017. Most had an intracapsular (59%) or trochanteric fracture (35%), and we found significant geographical variation across regions of England in use of total hip replacement (THR) (ranging from 10.1 to 17.4%) for intracapsular fracture and in intermedullary nailing (ranging from 14.9 to 27.0%) of trochanteric fracture. Some geographical variation in mortality amongst intracapsular fracture patients was found, with slightly higher mortality in the East of England (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.02-1.46). Trochanteric fractures showed slightly more variation, with higher 30-day mortality (aOR: 1.40, 95%CI: 1.05-1.88) in the East of England and significantly lower mortality in the North East (aOR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.46-0.93).

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified regional differences in operation type and 30-day mortality amongst hip fracture patients in England. The relationship between surgical approach and mortality has been explored, but the extent to which differential mortality reflects variation in approach to medical assessment, anaesthesia and other aspects of care warrants further investigation.

The influence of hospital-level variables on hip fracture outcomes

AIMS

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of hospital-level service characteristics on hip fracture outcomes and quality of care processes measures.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of publicly available audit data obtained from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) 2018 benchmark summary and Facilities Survey. Data extraction was performed using a dedicated proforma to identify relevant hospital-level care process and outcome variables for inclusion. The primary outcome measure was adjusted 30-day mortality rate. A random forest-based multivariate imputation by chained equation (MICE) algorithm was used for missing value imputation. Univariable analysis for each hospital level factor was performed using a combination of Tobit regression, Siegal non-parametric linear regression, and Mann-Whitney U test analyses, dependent on the data type. In all analyses, a p-value < 0.05 denoted statistical significance.

RESULTS

Analyses included 176 hospitals, with a median of 366 hip fracture cases per year (interquartile range (IQR) 280 to 457). Aggregated data from 66,578 patients were included. The only identified hospital-level variable associated with the primary outcome of 30-day mortality was hip fracture trial involvement (no trial involvement: median 6.3%; trial involvement: median 5.7%; p = 0.039). Significant key associations were also identified between prompt surgery and presence of dedicated hip fracture sessions; reduced acute length of stay and both a higher number of hip fracture cases per year and more dedicated hip fracture operating lists; Best Practice Tariff attainment and greater number of hip fracture cases per year, more dedicated hip fracture operating lists, presence of a dedicated hip fracture ward, and hip fracture trial involvement.

CONCLUSION

Exploratory analyses have identified that improved outcomes in hip fracture may be associated with hospital-level service characteristics, such as hip fracture research trial involvement, larger hip fracture volumes, and the use of theatre lists dedicated to hip fracture surgery. Further research using patient level data is warranted to corroborate these findings. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(10):1627-1632.

REducing unwarranted variation in the Delivery of high qUality hip fraCture services in England and Wales (REDUCE): protocol for a mixed-methods study

INTRODUCTION

Substantial variation in the delivery of hip fracture care, and patient outcomes persists between hospitals, despite established UK national standards and guidelines. Patients' outcomes are partly explained by patient-level risk factors, but it is hypothesised that organisational-level factors account for the persistence of unwarranted variation in outcomes. The mixed-methods REducing unwarranted variation in the Delivery of high qUality hip fraCture services in England and Wales (REDUCE) study, aims to determine key organisational factors to target to improve patient care.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Quantitative analysis will assess the outcomes of patients treated at 172 hospitals in England and Wales (2016-2019) using National Hip Fracture Database data combined with English Hospital Episodes Statistics; Patient Episode Database for Wales; Civil Registration (deaths) and multiple organisational-level audits to characterise each service provider. Statistical analyses will identify which organisational factors explain variation in patient outcomes, and typify care pathways with high-quality consistent patient outcomes. Documentary analysis of 20 anonymised British Orthopaedic Association hospital-initiated peer-review reports, and qualitative interviews with staff from four diverse UK hospitals providing hip fracture care, will identify barriers and facilitators to care delivery. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a major challenge to the resilience of services and interviews will explore strategies used to adapt and innovate. This system-wide understanding will inform the development, in partnership with key national stakeholders, of an 'Implementation Toolkit' to inform and improve commissioning and delivery of hip fracture services.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved: quantitative study by London, City and East Research Ethics Committee (20/LO/0101); and qualitative study by Faculty of Health Sciences University of Bristol Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 108284), National Health Service (NHS) Health Research Authority (20/HRA/71) and each NHS Trust provided Research and Development approval. Findings will be disseminated through scientific conferences, peer-reviewed journals and online workshops.

Nutritional Care of the Older Patient with Fragility Fracture: Opportunities for Systematised, Interdisciplinary Approaches Across Acute Care, Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention Settings

Nutritional care of the older patient with fragility fracture is complex. Diagnostic difficulties, multi-morbidities and interdependencies and social complexities all contribute to the wicked problem of malnutrition. Whilst many settings have attempted to address malnutrition through highly specialised care, increasing evidence supports the role of systematised, interdisciplinary approaches across acute care, rehabilitation and secondary prevention settings. Consequently, this chapter is devoted to highlighting why a SIMPLE approach to malnutrition should underpin the nutritional care of the older patient with fragility fracture, regardless of setting or healthcare provider.

S Screen for nutrition risk

I Interdisciplinary assessment

M Make the diagnosis (es)

P Plan with the patient

L impLement interventions

E Evaluate ongoing care requirements

Variation in timely surgery for hip fracture by day and time of presentation: a nationwide prospective cohort study from the National Hip Fracture Database for England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Background and Objective

Several studies report poorer quality healthcare for patients presenting at weekends. Our objective was to examine how timely surgery for patients with hip fracture varies with day and time of their presentation.

Methods

This population-based cohort study used 2017 data from the National Hip Fracture Database, which recorded all patients aged 60 years and over who presented with a hip fracture at a hospital in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Provision of prompt surgery (surgery within 36 hours of presentation) was examined, using multivariable logistic regression with generalised estimating equations to derive adjusted risk ratios (RRs). Time was categorised into three 8-hour intervals (day: 08:00–15:59, evening: 16:00–23:59 and night: 00:00–07:59) for each day of the week. The model accounted for clustering by hospital and was adjusted by sex, age, fracture type, operation type, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade, preinjury mobility and location.

Results

We studied 68 977 patients from 177 hospitals. The average patient presenting during the day on Friday or Saturday was significantly less likely to undergo prompt surgery (Friday during 08:00–15:59, RR=0.93, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.96; Saturday during 08:00–15:59, RR=0.91, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.94) than patients in the comparative category (Thursday, during the day). Patients presenting during the evening (16:00–23:59) were consistently significantly less likely to undergo prompt surgery, and the effect was more marked on Fridays and Saturdays (Friday during 16:00-23:59, RR=0.83, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.85; Saturday during 16:00–23:59, RR=0.81, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.85). Patients presenting overnight (00:00–07:59), except on Saturdays, were significantly more likely to undergo surgery within 36 hours (RR>1.07).

Conclusion

The provision of prompt hip fracture surgery was complex, with evidence of both an ‘evening’ and a ‘night’ effect. Investigation of weekly variation in hip fracture care is required to help implement strategies to reduce the variation in timely surgery throughout the entire week.

Inpatient hip fractures: understanding and addressing the risk of this common injury

INTRODUCTION

The impact and outcome of hip fractures are well described for people living in the community, but inpatient hip fracture (IHF) have not been extensively studied. In this study, we examine the patient characteristics, common falls risk factors and clinical outcomes of this condition.

METHODS

Between January 2016 and December 2017, we analysed all inpatient falls that resulted in hip fracture within Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) in Wales.

RESULTS

The overall falls rate was 8.7/1000 occupied bed days (OBD). Over the 2 years, 118 patients sustained an IHF, giving a rate of 0.12/1000 OBD. The mean age was 81.8 ± 9.5 (range 49-97) years and 60% were women. Most patients (n = 112) were admitted from their own home. Mean Charlson Comorbidity Index and the number of medications on admission were 5.5 ± 1.9 and 8.5 ± 3.7, respectively.Fifty-three patients (45%) sustained the IHF following their first inpatient fall. Twenty-four IHF (20%) occurred within 72 h. Mean length of stay was 84.9 ± 55.8 days. Only 43% were discharged back to their original place of residence following an IHF; 27% were discharged to a care home (26 new care home discharges), and 30% died as an inpatient. One-year mortality was 54% (n = 64/118). The most common comorbidity was dementia (63%).

CONCLUSION

Mortality and need for care home placement are both much higher after IHF than following community hip fracture. Most people who suffer a hip fracture in hospital have already demonstrated their need for falls risk management by having fallen previously during the same admission.

Hip fractures in the winter - Using the National Hip Fracture Database to examine seasonal variation in incidence and mortality

We set out to examine the implications of seasonal variation in hip fracture for trauma services and for the frail older people who typically suffer this injury. Since 2007 the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) has been reporting data for all over-60 year old patients presenting in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We analysed published NHFD data for the 450,764 people who presented during the seven years from April 2011 to March 2018. We found marked seasonal variation in the number of people presenting: 8% more people presenting in the winter months (December-February) than in the summer (June-August). The total number of people dying within 30 days of hip fracture was 30.5% higher among those presenting in these winter months. In total 33,649 people (7.5%) died within 30 days of hip fracture, but this figure varied significantly (p < 0.001, Chi² test); ranging from 6.7% in July to 8.7% (30% higher) in January. The public health impact of these findings is significant. An 8% increase in hip fracture numbers during the winter would equate with 1250 additional fractures during these months each year. Patients average over 20 days in hospital, so these additional cases will compound the stresses on hospital services over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Such factors must be taken into consideration when organising trauma services if we are to try and avoid the additional 325 deaths that we found to occur each winter.

Plutonium and other radionuclides persist across marine-to-terrestrial ecotopes in the Montebello Islands sixty years after nuclear tests

Since the 1956 completion of nuclear testing at the Montebello Islands, Western Australia, this remote uninhabited island group has been relatively undisturbed (no major remediations) and currently functions as high-value marine and terrestrial habitat within the Montebello/Barrow Islands Marine Conservation Reserves. The former weapons testing sites, therefore, provide a unique opportunity for assessing the fate and behaviour of Anthropocene radionuclides subjected to natural processes across a range of shallow-marine to island-terrestrial ecological units (ecotopes). We collected soil, sediment and biota samples and analysed their radionuclide content using gamma and alpha spectrometry, photostimulated luminescence autoradiography and accelerator mass spectrometry. We found the activity levels of the fission and neutron-activation products have decreased by ~hundred-fold near the ground zero locations. However, Pu concentrations remain elevated, some of which are high relative to most other Australian and international sites (up to 25,050 Bq kg^-1 of ^239+240+241Pu). Across ecotopes, Pu ranked from highest to lowest in the following order: island soils > dunes > foredunes > marine sediments > and beach intertidal zone. Low values of Pu and other radionuclides were detected in all local wildlife tested including endangered species. Activity concentrations ranked (highest to lowest) terrestrial arthropods > terrestrial mammal and reptile bones > algae > oyster flesh > whole crab > sea turtle bone > stingray and teleost fish livers > sea cucumber flesh > sea turtle skin > teleost fish muscle. The three detonations (one from within a ship and two from 30 m towers) resulted in differing contaminant forms, with the ship detonation producing the highest activity concentrations and finer more inhalable particulate forms. The three sites are distinct in their ^240/239Pu and ^241/239Pu atom ratios, including the Pu transported by natural process or within migratory living organisms.

A giant exoplanet orbiting a very-low-mass star challenges planet formation models

Surveys have shown that super-Earth and Neptune-mass exoplanets are more frequent than gas giants around low-mass stars, as predicted by the core accretion theory of planet formation. We report the discovery of a giant planet around the very-low-mass star GJ 3512, as determined by optical and near-infrared radial-velocity observations. The planet has a minimum mass of 0.46 Jupiter masses, very high for such a small host star, and an eccentric 204-day orbit. Dynamical models show that the high eccentricity is most likely due to planet-planet interactions. We use simulations to demonstrate that the GJ 3512 planetary system challenges generally accepted formation theories, and that it puts constraints on the planet accretion and migration rates. Disk instabilities may be more efficient in forming planets than previously thought.

Conceptual Framework for an Episode of Rehabilitative Care After Surgical Repair of Hip Fracture

Researchers face a challenge when evaluating the effectiveness of rehabilitation after a surgical procedure for hip fracture. Reported outcomes of rehabilitation will vary depending on the end point of the episode of care. Evaluation at an inappropriate end point might suggest a lack of effectiveness leading to the underuse of rehabilitation that could improve outcomes. The purpose of this article is to describe a conceptual framework for a continuum-care episode of rehabilitation after a surgical procedure for hip fracture. Definitions are proposed for the index event, end point, and service scope of the episode. Challenges in defining the episode of care and operationalizing the episode, and next steps for researchers are discussed. The episode described is intended to apply to all patients eligible for entry to rehabilitation after hip fracture and includes most functional recovery end points. This framework will provide a guide for rehabilitation researchers when designing and interpreting evaluations of the effectiveness of rehabilitation after hip fracture. Evaluation of all potential care episodes facilitates transparency in reporting of outcomes, enabling researchers to determine the true effectiveness of rehabilitation after a surgical procedure for hip fracture.