Hip Fracture - Quality Statement 12: Patient, Family, and Caregiver Information

Resources Quality Statements Advisory Committee About

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.

Background

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.

What This Quality Statement Means

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.

Quality Indicators

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

Definitions Used Within This Quality Statement

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

Evidence to Improve Care