Physiotherapists predict discharge destination after hip fracture

Abstract

The purpose was to investigate the predictive validity of discharge destination of two commonly used assessment tools and baseline variables in patients with femoral neck fracture. Thirty-two consecutive patients with a femoral neck fracture were assessed by an independent physiotherapist on days 3–5 post-surgery. Follow-up telephone interviews with structured questions were conducted at 3 weeks and 4 months post-surgery. The Swedish version of the Elderly Mobility Scale (Swe M-EMS) had an inverted correlation with discharge destination (r_s=−0.423). Age (r_s=0.389), living alone or with someone (r_s=−0.593) and the physiotherapy evaluation (r_s=0.516) also correlated with discharge destination. The Timed Up & Go (TUG) (r_s=0.085) and pre-fracture activity level (r_s=0.186) did not correlate with discharge destination. The Swe M-EMS may be considered a predictor of discharge destination in patients with a femoral neck fracture living in the community prior to fracture and with normal mental state, but not an independent predictor. We contend that the Swe M-EMS could be used in combination with predictive factors such as age, living alone or with someone and pre-fracture activity level.

Key words::

• Assessment
• elderly
• physiotherapy

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Research and Development Council, Fyrbodal, and from the Fyrbodal Research Institute.

The authors thank Anders Muszta, for statistical assistance and Jeanette Kliger for linguistic revision.

The authors also wish to thank Annika Assarsson, Paulien Persson and Ewa G Jernberg, physiotherapists at the orthopaedic geriatric ward for help finding the patients.

Competing interest and source of funding

None declared.