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Evidence to Improve Care

12

Patient, Family, and Caregiver Information

Patients with hip fracture and/or their family and caregivers are given information on patient care that is tailored to meet the patient’s needs and delivered at appropriate times in the care continuum.


Patients value receiving explanations about their condition and information about their anticipated path to recovery. Early discussion of prognosis, expectations, rehabilitation, and the care pathway may avoid discharge delays, reduce length of hospital stay, and prevent unnecessary readmission to hospital. Patients (and, as appropriate, their family or caregivers) should be provided with timely information throughout the care continuum verbally and in a printed or multimedia format.

For Patients

Throughout your care journey, you and your caregivers should be given information about your care. This information should be offered to you in a variety of ways, including verbally, written down, or in a video.


For Clinicians

Provide your patients with information that is tailored to meet their learning needs in a format and at times that are most appropriate for them.


For Health Services

Ensure that appropriate educational resources are available for clinicians to use with their hip fracture patients. These resources should be available in written and multimedia formats.

Structural Indicator

Percentage of hospitals that have educational resources available for hip fracture patients related to their care (see list provided in Definitions)

  • Data source: Regional and/or provincial data collection method would need to be developed

Information on patient care

At a minimum, information on patient care for hip fracture patients and their family and/or caregivers should address the following:

  • Diagnosis

  • Elements of the care plan

  • Types of anaesthesia

  • Medications

  • Health care professionals involved

  • Types of surgery

  • Possible complications of surgery

  • Postoperative care

  • Delirium prevention and management

  • Discharge plan

  • Rehabilitation programs

  • Potential long-term outcomes

  • Assistive devices that may be needed following surgery

  • Nutrition

  • Osteoporosis management

  • Effect of surgery on activities and travel

  • Fall prevention

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