1. Outcomes

Worthing and Chichester Hospitals manage over 900 hip fractures a year. Though partly through the work of the national hip fracture audit outcomes have been improving over the last decade, this group are still at high risk of short and longer-term mortality and complications and spend a significant amount of time in the hospital. With an IRP BSMS Medical Student we have reviewed the outcomes of patients over a three-year period and validated the CFS and NHFS as models for short and longer-term mortality that can help with conversations with families, providing objective population-based estimates. The work was published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism (JBMM). 

2. Hospital to Home (H2H Study)

Because of COVID-19, exercise and socialising opportunities in the hospital and home have been reduced. Technology may offer solutions to support older people’s recovery, however, we do not know if technology, such as a ‘smartwatch’ is acceptable. The Hospital-to-Home (H2H) study, will test if a group of hip fracture patients would be happy to use smartwatch technology connected to a ‘App’ –mHealth – and if this helps their recovery back home, with coaching by the physiotherapy team. Progress will be compared with similar patients, at a second hospital, without the technology. The study, which has won an award from the KSS Applied Research Collaborative (ARC) will measure outcomes including survival, mobility and quality of life.