%0 Journal Article
%T Allied health assistant management of people with hip fracture is feasible and may improve patient adherence to hip fracture mobilisation guidelines: a feasibility randomised controlled trial.
%A Snowdon DA
%A Vincent P
%A Callisaya ML
%A Collyer TA
%A Brusco NK
%A Wang YT
%A Taylor NF
%J Physiotherapy
%V 124
%N 0
%D 2024 May 14
%M 38870622
%F 3.704
%R 10.1016/j.physio.2024.05.002
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>Determine the feasibility of allied health assistant (AHA) management of people with hip fracture an acute hospital.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Assessor-blind, parallel, feasibility randomised controlled trial with qualitative component.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Acute orthopaedic ward.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>People with surgically-managed hip fracture, who walked independently pre-fracture and had no cognitive impairment.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Rehabilitation from an AHA, under the supervision of a physiotherapist, compared with rehabilitation from a physiotherapist.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Feasibility was evaluated according to focus areas of demand, acceptability, practicality and implementation. Secondary outcomes included estimates of effect of adherence to hip fracture mobilisation guidelines, discharge destination, 30-day readmission, functional activity, and length of stay.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Fifty people were allocated to receive rehabilitation from an AHA (n = 25) or physiotherapist (n = 25). AHA rehabilitation had high demand with 60% of eligible participants recruited. Satisfaction with AHA rehabilitation was comparable with physiotherapy rehabilitation (acceptability). The AHA group received an average of 11 min (95% CI 4 to 19) more therapy per day than the physiotherapy group (implementation). The AHA group may have had lower cost of acute care (MD -$3 808 95% CI -7 651 to 35) and adverse events were comparable between groups (practicality). The AHA group may have been 22% (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.61) more likely to walk on any day and may have had a shorter length of stay (MD -0.8 days, 95% CI -2.3 to 0.7).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>AHA management of patients with hip fracture was feasible and may improve adherence to mobilisation guidelines and reduce cost of care and length of stay.<BR><B>BACKGROUND: </B>ACTRN12620000877987. CONTRIBUTION OF THE PAPER.