The HIPCARE Study

With rapidly ageing populations in Asia, the number of patients at risk of hip fractures is increasing. Can a multidisciplinary training and support package ('HIPCARE') improve quality of life and reduce healthcare costs for patients with hip fracture?

Patient Information Sheet
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This research is funded by the NIHR (NIHR203194) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research. The views expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK government.

Collaborating Institutions

The University of Oxford, UK
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The George Institute, India
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All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India
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Kathmandu Medical College, Nepal
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University of the Philippines, The Philippines
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Mahidol University, Thailand
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Hanoi University of Public Health, Vietnam
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University of New South Wales, Australia
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University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka
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Background

Older patients are particularly likely to break a bone (fracture) because of a fall from a standing height, as their bones are weakened by osteoporosis. These fragility fractures have serious consequences and outcomes may be even worse in settings with limited healthcare resources. Asia is particularly affected by rapidly ageing populations with many more hip fractures expected in the next decade along with increasing associated healthcare costs. Improving care for patients with hip fracture is therefore a priority in this region.

Looking after patients following a hip fracture requires healthcare workers from many different backgrounds to work together. These multidisciplinary teams include surgeons, doctors specialising in looking after older patients, nurses and therapists, each with defined roles and responsibilities. In the UK, this team approach has reduced the number of patients dying and improved quality-of-life after hip fracture. It also reduced time spent in hospital and associated healthcare costs.

Aims

Our aim is to improve quality-of-life for hip fracture patients and to reduce healthcare costs in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC) in Asia.

This study is about testing the benefits of 'HIPCARE' which is a multidisciplinary care package for hip fracture patients in five countries in Asia (India, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal and the Philippines). HIPCARE has three main components: early surgery to fix the hip fracture, early assessment by a medical doctor and early walking with the help of a therapist to speed recovery. Having refined the training materials to make the HIPCARE package specific to each country in the study, we will do a large study to compare HIPCARE with usual care for hip fracture patients in 40 hospitals across the five countries in the study. We want to see if the HIPCARE intervention improves the quality-of-life for hip fracture patients in each country and whether it reduces healthcare costs, compared with usual care. The study takes place from November 2022 until October 2026.

Coordinating Centre Team

The project management group manages the HIPCARE trial, including the clinical and practical aspects. We have representatives from each collaborating partner, including clinicians, patient representatives, statisticians, health economists, information specialists and qualitative researchers.

International Scientific Advisory Committee

The International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) provides oversight for the HIPCARE trial and provides advice through its independent Chair to the Project Management Group on all aspects of the Project.

Community Engagement and Involvement

We developed HIPCARE with members of the Global Health Fragility Fractures Community Engagement and Involvement Panel with support from the World Musculoskeletal Trauma Patient and Public Involvement Group. We are grateful to patients and their carers from Asia and the UK who informed all aspects of the study. We will have Community Engagement and Involvement groups in each of the five study countries to advise us on the HIPCARE study. Please contact hipcare@ndorms.ox.ac.uk if you would like to find out more.

Community Engagement and Involvement Team

Mr Richard Grant

Contact