Back to the future - feasibility of recruitment and retention to patient education and telephone follow-up after hip fracture: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
Our primary aim of this pilot study was to test feasibility of the planned design, the interventions (education plus telephone coaching), and the outcome measures, and to facilitate a power calculation for a future randomized controlled trial to improve adherence to recovery goals following hip fracture.


METHODS
This is a parallel 1:1 randomized controlled feasibility study.


METHODS
The study was conducted in a teaching hospital in Vancouver, BC, Canada.


METHODS
Participants were community-dwelling adults over 60 years of age with a recent hip fracture. They were recruited and assessed in hospital, and then randomized after hospital discharge to the intervention or control group by a web-based randomization service. Treatment allocation was concealed to the investigators, measurement team, and data entry assistants and analysts. Participants and the research physiotherapist were aware of treatment allocation.


METHODS
Intervention included usual care for hip fracture plus a 1-hour in-hospital educational session using a patient-centered educational manual and four videos, and up to five postdischarge telephone calls from a physiotherapist to provide recovery coaching. The control group received usual care plus a 1-hour in-hospital educational session using the educational manual and videos.


METHODS
Our primary outcome was feasibility, specifically recruitment and retention of participants. We also collected selected health outcomes, including health-related quality of life (EQ5D-5L), gait speed, and psychosocial factors (ICEpop CAPability measure for Older people and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale).


RESULTS
Our pilot study results indicate that it is feasible to recruit, retain, and provide follow-up telephone coaching to older adults after hip fracture. We enrolled 30 older adults (mean age 81.5 years; range 61-97 years), representing a 42% recruitment rate. Participants excluded were those who were not community dwelling on admission, were discharged to a residential care facility, had physician-diagnosed dementia, and/or had medical contraindications to participation. There were 27 participants who completed the study: eleven in the intervention group, 15 in the control group, and one participant completed a qualitative interview only. There were no differences between groups for health measures.


CONCLUSIONS
We highlight the feasibility of telephone coaching for older adults after hip fracture to improve adherence to mobility recovery goals.
Vancouver Coastal Health, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada ; Department of Physical Therapy, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Dolores P
DP
Langford
Department of Family Practice, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada ; Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver, BC, Canada ; Freie Universität Berlin, Health Psychology, Berlin, Germany.
Lena
L
Fleig
Department of Family Practice, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada ; Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Kristin C
KC
Brown
Vancouver Coastal Health, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada ; Department of Physical Therapy, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Nancy J
NJ
Cho
Vancouver Coastal Health, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Maeve
M
Frost
Vancouver Coastal Health, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Monique
M
Ledoyen
Vancouver Coastal Health, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Jayne
J
Lehn
Vancouver Coastal Health, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada ; Department of Orthopaedics, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Kostas
K
Panagiotopoulos
Vancouver Coastal Health, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Nina
N
Sharpe
Department of Family Practice, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada ; Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Maureen C
MC
Ashe
coaching; feasibility; hip fracture; patient education; recruitment; telephone follow-up