Improving fragility hip fracture care through data: a multicentre experience from a country with an emerging economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: In low-to-middle-income countries (LMIC), the orthogeriatric model of care is still in its early stages of development. This study describes the initial results of the first online fragility hip fracture database to be setup in the Philippines using a modified minimum common dataset to generate outcomes data based on current hospital practices. METHODS: A multicentre prospective cohort study among 12 Philippine hospitals was conducted from June 2020 to February 2021. Thirty-day mortality, morbidity and mobility were measured. Significant factors associated with mortality were determined. RESULTS: 158 elderly patients with fragility hip fractures were included in the study. Nine patients (5.7%) were confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 infection. Median time of injury to admission was at least 3 days (IQR: 1.0-13.7). Overall, 80% of patients underwent surgical intervention with a median time from admission to surgery of at least 5 days (IQR: 2.5-13.6). Thirty-day mortality and morbidity rates for acute fragility fractures were 3.7%. Factors significantly associated with early mortality were poor prefracture mobility, COVID-19 infection, radiograph of the abnormal chest and conservative treatment. Non-surgical patients had no functional mobility or were wheelchair users and had a significantly higher morbidity rate than surgically treated patients (13.6% vs 1.8%; p=0.031). CONCLUSION: Despite treatment delays unique to an LMIC, short-term outcomes remain favourable for non-COVID-19 fragility hip fracture patients treated with surgery. Prompt admission and multidisciplinary care for elderly hip fracture patients while maintaining protective measures for COVID-19 infection control are recommended. The quality of data collected illustrates how this online database can provide a framework for a sustainable audit or registry as well as provide a platform for the introduction of orthogeriatric concepts at a multiregional scale.

Economic burden and the effects of early versus delayed hospitalization on the treatment cost of patients with acute fragility hip fractures under the UPM-PGH Orthogeriatric Multidisciplinary Fracture Management Model and Fracture Liaison Service.

OBJECTIVES: Fragility hip fractures present not only as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality to the elderly population but also as an important source of financial burden due to staggering costs for treatment. This study is designed to determine the effects of timing of hospitalization to the treatment costs of patients with acute fragility hip fractures. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, the patient database of the University of the Philippines Manila-Philippine General Hospital Orthogeriatric Multidisciplinary Fracture Management Model and Fracture Liaison Service was reviewed to investigate the effects of timing of hospitalization to the treatment cost of patients with acute fragility hip fractures admitted in a tertiary government hospital. The economic burden of this group of patients was also computed. RESULTS: A total of 118 patients were enrolled in the study with 54 patients in the early hospitalization (EH) group (≤ 3 days from injury) and 64 in the delayed hospitalization (DH) group (4-28 days). Median treatment cost is less among the EH group than those who were in the DH group (P = 0.0362). The computed economic burden of patients with acute fragility hip fractures is PhP 1,094,048,363.00 (USD 22,595,007.79) per year in the Philippines. CONCLUSIONS: Fragility hip fractures impose significant financial impact; and therefore, recommend early hospitalization to lessen treatment cost. Future studies should also be undertaken to investigate other interventions that may help alleviate this burden.