For the second year running, Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) has been recognised as among Australia's best performing hospitals for hip fracture care.
SCUH is in the running to win this year’s Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (ANZHFR) Golden Hip Award, which rates a hospital’s performance against 16 indicators within the national Hip Fracture Care, Clinical Care Standard.
Dr Priscilla Martin, Clinical Director Surgical and Critical Care said the ranking gave well deserved recognition to the care provided to patients with fractured hips.
“We are using an innovative model of care that involves a multidisciplinary team approach where all confirmed hip fracture patients are admitted directly under the care of an Ortho-geriatrician, as opposed to a surgeon, who has primary responsibility of the patient’s coordination of care.
“It’s a comprehensive approach that includes care provision by multiple areas of the hospital, including geriatricians, the emergency department, anaesthetists and orthopaedic surgeons.
“We all work together to provide the best care possible for our patients, from their admission to the emergency department, through to their surgery, and then from their surgery to their rehabilitation back into the community.”
“Our team works hard every day to provide the best care for our patients and our community and this recognition is testament to that,” Dr Martin said
The risk of hip fractures increases with age because bones tend to weaken due to osteoporosis. Multiple medications, poor vision and balance problems also make older people more likely to fall — one of the most common causes of hip fracture.
A hip fracture almost always requires surgical repair or replacement, followed by physical therapy.
The winner of the Golden Hip Awards will be announced on 19 October 2022.