Elderly patients with hip fractures: improved outcome with the use of care maps with high-quality medical and nursing protocols.

In a prospective cohort study, 51 patients were treated with standard nursing and medical treatment after sustaining a hip fracture. A second group of 55 patients was treated with high-quality medical and nursing protocols outlined on our care map. The patient groups showed no significant differences preoperatively in terms of the important variables of age, mental status, marital status, accommodation, ambulation, fracture type or fracture treatment. Postoperatively the patients were followed for a 6-month outcome. The outcome of return to their place of accommodation and their previous level of function was considered grade 1. In grade 2, the patients lost one level of function or one level of accommodation. In grade 3 they lost one level of accommodation and one level of function. In grade 4 they were dead. Overall we were able to show that the patients in the study group had a statistically significantly better outcome (p = 0.036). In addition, they had significantly fewer postoperative complications (p = 0.01) and a significantly greater number of the patients returned home within 14 days of their admission. We feel that the medical and nursing protocols outlined are generally applicable and could significantly improve the outcome overall for elderly patients with fractured hips.