Grant: Project Grant

On average, one hip fracture (fracture of the upper part of the femur) occurs every 15 minutes in Canada. Hip fractures currently rank among the most ten debilitating disabilities worldwide, and with ongoing increases in life expectancy, it is projected to become a global health problem in the coming few decades. As hospitals work to reduce the length of patient stay due to financial limitations, the responsibility for post-hip fracture care is shifting from hospitals to community health services. However, current resources to support hip fracture patients at home are inadequate. We will test a new program to help patients recover from hip fractures in their homes. The program comprises a user-friendly patient resource (toolkit) containing information on hip fracture and pain management and contains personalized, extended, at-home physiotherapy. We will assess the effectiveness of the model of care by testing it in a randomized controlled trial and comparing the outcomes with those of the current standard model of care. We will also ask whether the program's benefits are retained 6 and 12 months after discharge from the hospital and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of our approach. Ultimately, this research aims to improve health outcomes and reduce the burden of hip fractures on the healthcare system.