Providing rehabilitation tailored to older adults with hip fracture improves their recovery after surgery

Wang H, Li C, Zhang Y, et al. The influence of inpatient comprehensive geriatric care on elderly patients with hip fractures: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. 2015 Nov;8(11):19815-19830

Review question

•        Does providing tailored rehabilitation for older adults after hip surgery, such as by assessing specific patient risks and needs, reduce hospital stay and risk of death, while improving patient outcomes?

Background

•        Patients usually need surgery to treat hip fractures, however, older patients have a high risk of developing complications due to pre-existing conditions.

•        Currently, older adults with hip fractures receive support before surgery from orthopedic surgeons, but many of them will require support from a mix of professionals to address a broader range of needs.

•        Tailored rehabilitation is a promising solution for improving recovery and reducing time spent in the hospital for older adults with hip fractures. This rehabilitation involves a mix of healthcare professionals coming up with a specific care plan based on patient needs.

How the review was done

•        A detailed search of a number of electronic databases for studies published up to and including 2015 was conducted. Studies that compared the effects of rehabilitation tailored to older adults after hip fracture surgery with usual orthopedic care were included in the review.

•        A total of 584 studies were identified in the initial database search, and 15 were included in the review.

•        This study was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China.

What the researchers found

•        Researchers found that rehabilitation tailored to older adults after hip-fracture surgery, in comparison to usual orthopedic care, significantly improves recovery.

•        No significant difference was found in the time spent in hospital or risk of death when comparing tailored rehabilitation with usual orthopedic care.

•        Studies showed that rehabilitation tailored to older adults increases the number of patients who are discharged and able to live independently after hip-fracture surgery.

Conclusion

•        Evidence suggests that rehabilitation tailored to the needs of older adults with hip fractures contributes to improved recovery after surgery, but does not have a significant impact on length of hospital stay and risk of death. Adoption of tailored rehabilitation alongside usual orthopedic care may be a promising approach.