Inter-professional Management of Patients with Hip Fractures Starting in the Emergency Department: Policy Implications

Abstract

Hip fractures have been described as one of the most serious of osteoporotic fractures and musculoskeletal injuries across the globe due to increased risk of morbidity, mortality, and loss of independence after an injury. Early coordinated and structured inter-professional management, starting at the point of entry into the healthcare system has shown to decrease these poorer outcomes. However, currently, there are no policies in place in the Canadian province of New Brunswick to initiate an inter-professional program or protocol at the point of entry, which is usually the emergency department. This policy brief includes a description of concise actions to address this issue, including human and financial resource implications. Implementing the priority recommendations presented will have an immediate benefit to those living in New Brunswick and will lay the groundwork to engage in the future development of a more comprehensive national-level inter-professional hip fracture program across Canada.