ANZ hip fracture registry annual report release

The Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (ANZFHR) has this week released its 2022 report.

Nearly 4,000 New Zealanders break their hip every year, and this is expected to rise. The average age of these patients is 82 years with people aged 90 years and older making up 27 percent of hip fracture patients in New Zealand.

ANZFHR New Zealand Clinical Lead Sarah Hurring says, ‘Hip fractures can be a devastating event for older people with many having significant loss of independence. In 2021, just over 7 percent of patients died within a month of breaking their hip and a quarter of patients died within the year following their hip fracture.’

This is the 7th patient level report and there are now over 18,000 records collected from New Zealand hospitals. This is providing valuable information to all the stakeholders involved in hip fracture care to compare the progress their hospitals are making towards meeting the Hip Fracture Care Clinical Care Standards and identifying gaps in practice that require further focus.

This year the second Golden Hip award for Best Performance was again awarded to North Shore Hospital for being the most consistent performer against the clinical care standards. The Most Improved Hospital was awarded to Hutt Hospital and they are to be commended in making improvements to the care of hip fracture patients.

‘ It is great to have these Golden Hip awards to recognise those hospitals working hard to provide great care to hip fracture patients and to provide encouragement to those hospitals where there are opportunities for improvement.’ says Nicola Ward, National Coordinator.

The report continues to show variation across the country, but it is pleasing to see an increase in the number of hospitals with clear pathways and protocols for the management of patients with a hip fracture.

‘It shows ongoing improvements in the management of pain while waiting for an operation, an increased focus on assessing for dementia and confusion and greater access to weekend therapy with almost 90 percent of patients being given the opportunity to walk the day after their operation’, says Dr Sarah Hurring.

A complete report is available online through the Registry website at Registry Reports - ANZHFR