In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) has set standards for hip fracture care which identify seven indicators that doctors and healthcare providers are recommended to provide to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
“These performance indicators are part of the UK NHS Best Practice Tariff (BPT) where providers are reimbursed based on the care delivered in the period following injury,” said Matthew Costa, Professor of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery at Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS). “But it’s not clear whether the tariff is associated directly with improved patient outcomes or really how much difference each aspect of care makes to a person’s recovery. Through the WHiTE study we could test the seven recommendations to see which had the greatest impact and whether some should be prioritised by hospitals.”