Physiotherapists’ role during hospital-to-home transition for older adults with hip fracture and mobility limitation: A research protocol

Abstract

Introduction Functional deficits such as gait speed, muscle strength or reduced activities in daily living after discharge are predictors for hospital readmission for older adults with hip fractures. However, physiotherapists (PTs) who are inherently mobility experts, do not actively participate during the hospital-to-home transition of older adults with hip fractures in the developing countries, including Nigeria. This qualitative study aims to describe and explore how PTs working within inpatient rehabilitation units prepare older adults (≥60 years) with a hip fracture for transfer to their home in the community. Methods We will adopt Sally Thorne’s Interpretive Description approach to purposively select 25 PTs with 5-years experience of participating in discharging older adults with hip fractures from inpatient rehabilitation-to-home. Data collection will include (a) semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with PTs, (b) discharge summaries of two older adults, and (c) final focus group discussion with PTs. We will ask the physiotherapists to provide discharge summaries of two older adults - one that they described as a “difficult” case and one that they described as an “easy” case during inpatient rehabilitation-to-home transition. Data will be analyzed employing Sally Thorne’s “borrowing techniques”- content and thematic analysis for the patients’ discharge summaries and PT interviews, respectively.

Care coordination during and beyond the coronavirus: Learning together and faster to strengthen health systems

“…Since physiotherapists in Nigeria are not actively involved in care transition that focuses on improving physical functioning during the hospital-to-home transition of older adults, their understanding of their new role is crucial. 12 Sharing experiences and lessons in the strengthening of health systems and the rapid reorganising of service delivery into new health ecosystems to respond to health threats is and will remain important. This double issue of the International Journal of Care Coordination illustrates that the lessons learned about the coordination of initiatives to respond to COVID-19 are not only important as multiple countries are facing a resurgence but may also accelerate the coordination of service delivery for people beyond the pandemic.…”

“…Since physiotherapists in Nigeria are not actively involved in care transition that focuses on improving physical functioning during the hospital-to-home transition of older adults, their understanding of their new role is crucial. 12…”