90 per cent of older people fracturing a hip, a common and life-changing injury, are offered the opportunity to get up from bed on the first day after surgery. Yet only 47 per cent of people with a hip fracture actually get out of bed on this first day, said the Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (ANZHFR) in its newly-released 2021 Annual Report.
The Hip Fracture Care Clinical Care Standard recommends a person with a hip fracture is offered the opportunity to sit out of bed and start walking the day after surgery and at least once a day thereafter.
Co-Chair of ANZHFR and Principal Research Fellow at the Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry, Professor Jacqueline Close, said early walking aims to restore movement and to reduce post-operative complications, but the report reveals substantial differences between hospitals in whether this is achieved.
“We have seen a huge difference between hospitals and their performance on this aspect of care. Some hospitals are getting over 90 per cent of patients out of bed and starting that recovery process the day after surgery whilst in other hospitals it is as low as 20-30 per cent.
“The results show that there is work to be done to better understand why this variation exists between hospitals as getting people moving after a hip fracture is key to achieving what is important to our patients – getting home and being independent,” she said.
Approximately 20,000 hip fractures occur each year in Australia and New Zealand, with five per cent of people dying in hospital because of this injury.
The message is clear: if you or a loved one experience a hip fracture, ensure you speak to the hospital and your doctor about getting moving again as soon as possible.
