Dedicated orthogeriatric service reduces hip fracture mortality

C. Y. Henderson, E. Shanahan, A. Butler, B. Lenehan, M. O’Connor, D. Lyons, J. P. Ryan

Hip fracture is a common serious injury afflicting the geriatric population and is associated with poor clinical outcomes, functional and walking disabilities and high 1-year mortality rates. A multidisciplinary approach has been shown to improve outcomes of geriatric patients with fragility fracture. We piloted a dedicated orthogeriatric service for hip fracture patients to determine if the service facilitated a change in major patient outcomes, such as mortality, length of stay and dependency. A dedicated orthogeriatrics service for hip fracture was established as a collaborative project between the Department of Geriatric Medicine and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at a university teaching hospital. Orthogeriatrics service data were collected prospectively on an orthogeriatric filemaker database from July 2011 to July 2012 (N = 206). Data were compared to previously recorded data (Irish Hip Fracture Database) on a cohort of hip fracture patients admitted to the same orthopaedic trauma unit from July 2009 to July 2010 (N = 248). Patients in the orthogeriatric service group experienced significant reductions in 1-year mortality (χ(2) = 13.34, P < 0.001), length of acute hospital stay (U = -3.77, P < 0.001) and requirements for further rehabilitation (χ (2) = 26.59, P < 0.001). Patients in the pre-service establishment group were significantly more dependent following their fracture than the patients in the orthogeriatric service group (χ (2) = 5.34, P = 0.021). A multidisciplinary management approach to fragility fracture of the femoral neck that involves comprehensive geriatric assessment, daily medical involvement of a geriatric team and specialised follow-up assessment leads to a significant reduction in mortality and improved outcomes.