Need and Rationale for Geriatric Fracture Programs.

Fragility fractures among the older adult population are common, costly, and one of the top acute care facility diagnoses for this age group. Approximately 150,000 older adults in the United States are admitted to a hospital for treatment of a fragility hip fracture annually, with an estimated cost of more than $10 billion to the healthcare system. On admission to the hospital, patient treatment may be delayed, fragmented, or inadequate, adversely impacting length of stay and short- and long-term patient outcomes. Development of a geriatric fracture program implementing standardized, evidence-based guidelines can streamline clinical pathways and care processes and has been demonstrated to be a cost-effective method to improve patient outcomes.

Geriatric Fracture Programs: Implementation of a Geriatric Fracture Program.

The successful implementation of a geriatric fracture program is dependent on engaging a multidisciplinary team. The goal of these programs is to address the unique needs of patients with geriatric fracture by providing the support necessary for return to their prefracture level of activities of daily living. Identifying the key stakeholders and clarifying their role in pre- and postoperative patient support are vital to the development of such an initiative. The purpose of this article is to discuss the steps to plan and implement a geriatric fracture program in a hospital and lessons learned from our experience initiating such a program.