Injury
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Multicenter Study
The national clinical audit of falls and bone health: the clinical management of hip fracture patients.
The standards of care for older people who present with a fractured neck of femur (#NOF) have been defined by previously published national guidelines. To assess compliance with these standards the Healthcare Commission commissioned the Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit (CEEU) for the Royal College of Physicians to deliver 'The National Clinical Audit of Falls and Bone Health for Older People'. ⋯ There are currently unacceptable wide variations in the delivery of clinical care to older people presenting with a #NOF. Of concern were the long lengths of time in A&E for many patients and the low level of routine access to pre-operative medical assessment. It is hoped that the launch of joint initiatives between the British Orthopaedic Association and the British Geriatric Society aimed at delivering service improvements in this area should lead to improved outcomes.