Bundled Payments for Hip Fracture Surgery Are Associated With Improved Access, Quality, and Health Care Utilization, but Higher Costs for Complex Cases: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To study the impact of bundled payments for surgically managed hip fractures on care access, care quality, health care resource utilization, clinical impact, and acute care cost. DESIGN: An observational retrospective cohort study using a quasi-experimental design comparing prebundled and postbundled payments through an interrupted time series analysis. SETTING: A public acute care general hospital. PATIENTS: Patients 60 years and older, with surgery for an isolated, unilateral, nonpathological hip fracture during 2014-first quarter of 2019 [diagnosis-related group codes: I03A, I03B, I08A, and I08B] and transferred to specific rehabilitation institutions were studied. INTERVENTION: Bundled payments for funder-to-provider reimbursement. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASUREMENTS: Care access, care quality, health care resource utilization, clinical impact, and cost. RESULTS: Of 1477 patients, 811 were assigned to prebundled and 666 to postbundled payments. Although there was an improving trend of ward admission waiting times during postbundled payments [odds ratio (OR) = 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.28], ward admission waiting times were longer when compared with prebundled payments (OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.23-0.85). Rates of 30-day all-cause readmissions were lower (OR = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.01-0.67), and trends of reducing inpatient rehabilitation and overall episode length of stay (OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.16-1.37 and OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.07-1.28, respectively) were demonstrated during postbundled payments. Acute care cost for complex cases were higher (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26-0.92) during bundled payments, compared with prebundled payments. CONCLUSIONS: Bundled payments for surgically managed hip fractures were associated with benefits for several outcomes pertinent to clinical improvement initiatives. More work, especially concerning cost-effective surgical implants and better care cost computations, are critically needed to contain the growth of acute medical care cost for these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Integrated hip fracture care pathway (IHFCP): reducing complications and improving outcomes.

Introduction: Hip fractures in elderly people are increasing. A five-year Integrated Hip Fracture Care Pathway (IHFCP) was implemented at our hospital for seamlessly integrating care for these patients from admission to post discharge. We aimed to evaluate how IHFCP improved process and outcome measures in these patients. Methods: A study was conducted over a five-year period on patients with acute fragility hip fracture who were managed on IHFCP. The evaluation utilised a descriptive design, with outcomes analysed separately for each of the five years of the programme. First-year results were treated as baseline. Results: The main improvements in process and outcome measures over five years, when compared to baseline, were: (a) increase in surgeries performed within 48 hours of admission from 32.5% to 80.1%; (b) reduced non-operated patients from 19.6% to 11.9%; (c) reduced average length of stay at acute hospital among surgically (from 14.0 ± 12.3 days to 9.9 ± 1.0 days) and conservatively managed patients (from 19.1 ± 22.9 to 11.0 ± 2.5 days); (d) reduced 30-day readmission rate from 3.2% to 1.6%; and (e) improved Modified Functional Assessment Classification of VI to VII at six months from 48.0% to 78.2%. Conclusion: The IHFCP is a standardised care path that can reduce time to surgery, average length of stay and readmission rates. It is distinct from other orthogeriatric care models, with its ability to provide optimal care coordination, early transfer to community hospitals and post-discharge day rehabilitation services. Consequently, it helped to optimise patients' functional status and improved their overall outcome.

Beyond comanaged inpatient care to community integration: Factors leading to surgical delay in hip fractures and their associated outcomes.

PURPOSE: Early surgery for older adults with hip fracture has been shown to improve outcomes. We aim to study the factors contributing to delay in surgery (defined as surgery performed more than 48 h after admission) and its associated outcomes in a tertiary hospital in Singapore with an integrated hip fracture program. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study of hip fracture patients aged more than 60 years over 1 year. We collected data on demographics, premorbid mobility and functional status, time to surgery, postoperative complications, and inhospital mortality. Mortality data and functional performance were reviewed at 1 year. RESULTS: High American Society of Anaesthesiologists score independently predicted delay in surgery (odd ratio (OR) = 9.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.69-53.68). Delayed surgery was significantly associated with longer length of stay (median 12.8 days with interquartile range (IQR) 9.7-17.6 days vs. 8.35 days with IQR 5.9-10.9 days, p < 0.01). Surgery within 48 h significantly reduced functional decline (Modified Barthel Index change -3.89 ± 17.23 vs. -9.29 ± 20.30, p = 0.01) and 1-year mortality (3.5% vs. 9.3%, p = 0.03). Surgical delay was an independent risk factor for early postoperative complications (OR = 3.21, 95% CI: 1.21-8.49), and patients were significantly less likely to return to premorbid mobility at 1 year (OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.39-0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Delayed hip fracture surgery in older adults is associated with worse short- and long-term outcomes, including early postoperative complications and poorer functional recovery.

Which frailty measure is a good predictor of early post-operative complications in elderly hip fracture patients?

INTRODUCTION: Current pre-operative assessment using, e.g., American Society of Anaesthesiologists score does not accurately predict post-operative outcomes following hip fracture. The multidimensional aspect of frailty syndrome makes it a better predictor of post-operative outcomes in hip fracture patients. We aim to discover which frailty measure is more suitable for prediction of early post-operative outcomes in hip fracture patients. METHODS: Hundred consecutive hip fracture patients seen by the orthogeriatric service were included. We collected baseline demographic, functional and comorbidity data. In addition to ASA, a single blinded rater measured frailty using two scales (i) modified fried criteria (MFC) and (ii) reported edmonton frail scale (REFS). The MFC adopted a surrogate gait speed measure with two questions: (i) Climbing one flight of stairs and (ii) Ability to walk 1 km in the last 2 weeks. Immediate post-operative complications during the inpatient stay were taken as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: Subjects had mean age of 79.1 ± 9.6 years. Sixty six percent were female and 87 % of Chinese ethnicity. Eighty two percent had surgery, of which 37.8 % (n = 31) had post-operative complications. Frailty, measured by MFC (OR 4.46, p = 0.04) and REFS (OR 6.76, p = 0.01) were the only significant predictors of post-operative complications on univariate analyses. In the hierarchical logistic regression model, only REFS (OR 3.42, p = 0.04) predicted early post-operative complications. At 6 months follow-up, REFS significantly predicted [basic activities of daily living (BADL)] function on the multivariable logistic regression models. (BADL, OR 6.19, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty, measured by the REFS is a good predictor of early post-operative outcomes in our pilot study of older adults undergoing hip surgery. It is also able to predict 6 months BADL function. We intend to review its role in longer-term post-operative outcomes and validate its potential role in pre-operative assessment of older adults undergoing hip surgery.

Prevalence of vitamin d deficiency in patients with hip fracture seen in an orthogeriatric service in sunny singapore.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is common in older adults in Western countries with seasonal winters, when the amount of sunlight is much reduced. There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with hip fracture in countries such as Singapore where the climate is predominantly tropical. OBJECTIVES: In this study, our aims were to ascertain the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in hospitalized elderly patients with hip fracture in Singapore. METHODS: We prospectively studied 485 patients with hip fracture admitted to the orthopedic department over a 1-year period. Nonfragility fractures and younger patients (patients <60 years and those with high-impact injuries) were excluded. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, functional status, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels were collected. Vitamin D deficiency was defined using Holick classification. RESULTS: Vitamin D levels were available for 412 patients. Vitamin D deficiency was present in 57.5% (n = 237). Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency was 34.5%, with only 8% of patients having normal vitamin D levels. Univariate analyses showed Malay race and functional factors (being housebound, requiring bathing and dressing assistance) to be associated with vitamin D deficiency. However, only ethnicity and housebound patients were significant in the multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are common in patients with hip fracture in Singapore. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with being housebound and those of Malay ethnicity. Clothing habits resulting in reduced sunlight exposure may increase the risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Functional improvement of self-care in the elderly after hip fracture: is age a factor?

INTRODUCTION: The aging population is growing rapidly in Asia resulting in an increased number of hip fractures being managed surgically. Though there is evidence of improved quality of patient care and outcomes with well-established models of care, we do not know if the functional recovery in activities of daily living among this group of patients is also dependant on age. We hypothesize that there will be a difference in Modified Barthel Index (MBI) scores between the 'older old' (>85 years) and the 'younger old' (<85 years). PATIENT AND METHODS: Hip fracture patients (>60 years) treated surgically were divided into Group A (below 85 years) and Group B (above 85 years). Demographic data, Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CCI) score, time to surgery and length of stay (LOS) were recorded. To assess the recovery in activities of daily living, the MBI scores were measured for the following intervals; pre-fall, at discharge, at 6-month and at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: The mean age for Group A (n = 120) was 77 years (60-85) and the mean age for Group B (n = 59) was 91.8 years (86-108). There was no significant difference in the mean CCI (A: 1.14, B: 1.24), mean time to surgery (A: 72.3 h, B: 79.9 h) and mean LOS (A: 10.8 days, B: 10.3 days). The MBI scores were significantly different (P < 0.05) for the pre-injury scores (A = 91.5, B = 84.4); however, there was no significant difference for scores measured at discharge (A = 57.5, B = 52.7), at 6 months (A = 74.6, B = 69.3) and at 1 year (A = 82.2, B = 73.2). Though there was a significant improvement, the scores at 1 year were significantly lower than the pre-injury score for both groups. CONCLUSION: We conclude that age is not a factor in determining functional recovery with regard to activities of daily living in an integrated model of care for geriatric hip fracture patients.

Orthogeriatric model for hip fracture patients in Singapore: our early experience and initial outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: The aging population is growing rapidly in Asia resulting in an increased number of fragility fractures. Studies have shown that an integrated model of care for the elderly can improve the quality of patient care and outcomes. This report describes our concept, initial experience and short-term outcomes of the integrated model of care that was established in managing geriatric hip fractures in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. PATIENT AND METHODS: An integrated care pathway model was implemented. The principle of the model is based on (a) timely admission, review, surgery, rehabilitation, transfer, (b) multidisciplinary approach and (c) integration of a care manager. Hip fracture patients (>60 years) were included in our study and were followed up for 1 year. Demographic data, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), time to surgery, length of stay and modified Barthel index (MBI) scores were recorded. RESULTS: The mean age was 82 years (62-108) with a female predominance (75 %). The mean CCI was 1.8. Time to admission was 3.7 h and mean time taken to be reviewed by an integrated care manager was 21.7 h. Close to 40 % of patients were operated within 48 h with a median time to surgery of 36.7 h. Mean length of stay was 10 days with an inpatient and 1-year mortality rate of 2.3 and 5.9 %, respectively. Complication rate was 5.1 % (urinary tract infection and wound infection) and MBI scores at 1 year revealed significant functional improvement of 95 % (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our integrated model of care for hip fractures can lead to satisfactory outcomes. Though the time to surgery and length of stay can be improved further, our initial results have shown a reasonable time to admission and review by a care manager. Besides a low complication and mortality rate, functional improvement was significant post-operatively.