title: Orthogeriatric model for hip fracture patients in Singapore: our early experience and initial outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aging population is growing rapidly in Asia resulting in an increased number of fragility fractures. Studies have shown that an integrated model of care for the elderly can improve the quality of patient care and outcomes. This report describes our concept, initial experience and short-term outcomes of the integrated model of care that was established in managing geriatric hip fractures in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
  
  
  METHODS
  An integrated care pathway model was implemented. The principle of the model is based on (a) timely admission, review, surgery, rehabilitation, transfer, (b) multidisciplinary approach and (c) integration of a care manager. Hip fracture patients (>60 years) were included in our study and were followed up for 1 year. Demographic data, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), time to surgery, length of stay and modified Barthel index (MBI) scores were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 82 years (62-108) with a female predominance (75 %). The mean CCI was 1.8. Time to admission was 3.7 h and mean time taken to be reviewed by an integrated care manager was 21.7 h. Close to 40 % of patients were operated within 48 h with a median time to surgery of 36.7 h. Mean length of stay was 10 days with an inpatient and 1-year mortality rate of 2.3 and 5.9 %, respectively. Complication rate was 5.1 % (urinary tract infection and wound infection) and MBI scores at 1 year revealed significant functional improvement of 95 % (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our integrated model of care for hip fractures can lead to satisfactory outcomes. Though the time to surgery and length of stay can be improved further, our initial results have shown a reasonable time to admission and review by a care manager. Besides a low complication and mortality rate, functional improvement was significant post-operatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Health Group, 11, Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore, 308433, Singapore, sai_hkdoshi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hitendra K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Doshi
authors.forename: Rani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramason
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Azellarasi
authors.forename: Ganesan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Naidu
authors.forename: Wai Lim William
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012846:Singapore; D016896:Treatment Outcome