Advice line: improving the rehabilitation of people after a hip fracture

Improving the rehabilitation of people after a hip fracture remains a priority area for the CSP. In the current economic climate, it’s vital for physios to demonstrate their distinctive value and impact in helping this group in the most clinically and cost-effective ways. 

 

At the start of the year, the CSP commissioned the Falls and Fragility Fracture Audit Programme (FFFAP), which is part of the Royal College of Physicians. We asked them to plan, deliver and evaluate a hip fracture physiotherapy audit, known as the Physiotherapy Hip Fracture Sprint Audit, due to take place in May and June. 

 

To date, the physiotherapy interventions for people with hip fracture have not been robustly measured and evaluated, so it has not been possible to develop best practice recommendations for physios in this area.  We know that decision makers require detailed information on the benefits of physiotherapy to support the commissioning process.  If we do nothing and continue with ‘business as usual’, we will lack the evidence to support the continued funding of physiotherapy services for people with hip fracture. 

 

All CSP members in England and Wales involved delivering hip fracture rehabilitation (both in the acute and community settings), will be invited to contribute to the national audit.  This is an important opportunity for the profession to gather robust national data about a key aspect of our practice, and we need members to engage in this work.

 

We will ask members to collect data for about two months, including key outcome measures from every appropriate patient, specific to their rehabilitation experience.  The data will be captured electronically and become part of the National Hip Fracture Database.  We will shortly be contacting a physiotherapy lead in every NHS trust and board in England and Wales to work with us to manage the audit locally. 

 

If you are likely to be that physiotherapist or if you have any questions about the audit please email me at tenhover@csp.org.uk