For Immediate Release
For more information, contact: A.J. Wright847-384-4034, [email protected]Joanne Swanson847-384-4035, [email protected]Todd Schuetz847-384-4032, [email protected]
Leaders in health care to meet to address delivery of hip fracture patient care
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Delegates from over 40 leading national organizations will convene in Washington D.C., May 3 -- 4 , 2001 to build consensus on the current strengths and weaknesses in the delivery of care for patients with hip fracture.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' position statement, "Hip Fracture in Seniors: A Call for Health System Reform," describes the magnitude of the hip fracture patient population, the problems they face now and will face in the future, and recommendations for change.
The Academy recently identified groups in the US with unique "access to care" problems, who can "fall through the cracks" and are in need of advocacy. Of patients with hip fracture problems, the elderly population is the group where greater focus is needed. Hip fracture in seniors is a serious and costly health problem, accounting for 350,000 hospital admissions each year.
More than 4 percent of hip fracture patients die during their initial hospitalization. As many as 24 percent die within one year of injury and 50 percent lose their ability to walk independently.
Two members of the Academy will co-chair the event; Alan Morris, MD, chairman, AAOS council on health policy and practice, and Joseph Zuckerman, MD, chairman, AAOS council on education. A steering committee made up of 15 national organizations has set the agenda to address the needs of hip fracture patients. Its mission is to ultimately improve the continuum of care pathway for hip fracture patients: to find the best team management model with the best outcome, and a way to implement it around the country.
"A coordinated approach to the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of hip fracture patients is necessary to reduce morbidity, loss of independence and the overall costs to society, said Dr. Zuckerman. "The health care delivery system needs to better serve this vulnerable and growing population, and to be more accountable to patient needs".
Dr. Morris added "this is a quality of care, coordination of care, and quality of life issue. The bottom line is that there needs to be a better way to address the needs of these patients."
Incentives created by the Medicare payment system and hospital utilization management activities are causing medical care organizations and hospitals to reduce lengths of stay for hip fracture patients in a effort to control health costs.
Reducing length of stay for hip fracture leads to fragmentation in hip fracture care because the acute hospital phase is cut without enhancing and coordinating the post-acute phase, including rehabilitation and home support.
The burden of care shifts to non-hospital sectors of the system, and to families at tremendous cost. There is often a sudden loss of follow up care after hospital discharge. The patient is cut off from a day-to-day relationship with the primary care doctor, surgeon and physical therapist.
Conference objectives are to:
* Bring together leaders of organizations involved in hip fracture care at various points during the treatment period* Clarify the leading "delivery system" problems* Gain consensus on the problems and the causes* Identify possible solutions or ways to reduce problems and improve systems of care* Resolve next steps to take in gaining national focus and change* Create an action plan
An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy is participating in the Bone and Joint Decade (www.bonejointdecade.org), the global initiative in the years 2000-2010 to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life.
The 25,500 member American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) or (http://orthoinfo.aaos.org), is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public.
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