Description of a Nurse Practitioner-Led Orthogeriatric Model of Care

Abstract

Older adults often present with multiple comorbidities and face significant postoperative complications. This study aimed to describe the role of Nurse Practitioner (NP)-led orthogeriatric services in managing hip fracture patients. We conducted a review of health records of older adults with hip and proximal femoral fractures between July 2017 and June 2018, presenting descriptive statistics on patient characteristics, surgical outcomes, and the involvement of orthogeriatric services. A total of 197 participants were included, with a majority being female (n = 132; 67.0%). Most patients (53.8%; n = 106) had between five and nine pre-existing conditions. Among the 192 patients who underwent surgery, 69.8% (n = 134) experienced up to four surgical complications. The Nurse Practitioner provided care to 89.1% (n = 163) of the patients within the orthogeriatric service, with half of the patients (n = 82) requiring at least five NP interventions to manage complex pre- and postoperative needs. Refining the NP-led model could potentially help reduce the burden on physicians and surgeons in treating complex medical conditions, especially in settings where geriatricians may not be readily available.