Care delivery in acute hospital settings: an observational study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Describing care delivery by health care professionals to older patients with hip fracture in acute hospital settings: an observational study
IRAS ID
146744
Contact name
George Christopher Fox
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Research summary
The PERFECTED (Peri-operative Enhanced Recovery hip FracturE Care of paTiEnts with Dementia) research programme aims to develop and pilot an evidence-based intervention to improve the hospital care of patients with dementia suffering a fractured hip. The current observational study is a discrete part of the overall research programme. It aims to describe care delivery encompassing but not specific to patients with dementia noting how far specific needs of patients, including those with dementia, are addressed. The study will also attend to the cost and resource consequences of care delivery.
Hip fracture is a common orthopaedic injury amongst older adults and has a significant impact on the health and independence of patients and consequently their families. People with dementia have a four-fold increased risk of hip fracture compared to matched non-cognitivey impaired cohorts (Laditka et al, 2005; Gruneir et al, 2010). They also have a higher mortality rate and greater risk of post-operative complications (Smith et al, 2013). Improving acute hospital care for people with dementia is high on the national agenda, as this group is particularly vulnerable to poor quality care.
In an effort to inform the overall PERFECTED research programme, this observational study will undertake 4 weeks of observations at three partner hospital sites (Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Bradford Royal infirmary, Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham). Experienced qualitative researchers will select and train members of the public as research observers to assist in observing the delivery of care by health care professionals in an ortho-geriatric ward and the Emergency Department (ED) in each of partner hospitals.
Data collected will be in the form of field notes and these will be will be thematically analysed. These findings will address the aims of the observational study and feed into the parent PERFECTED research programme.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/EM/1020
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion