Pre‐discharge home visits by occupational therapists completed for patients following hip fracture. (14th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lockwood, Kylee J.; Taylor, Nicholas F.; Boyd, Jude N.; Harding, Katherine E.
• Is Part Of: Australian occupational therapy journal. Volume 64:Number 1(2017:Feb.)
• Page Start: 41
• Page End: 48
• Publication Date: 2016-07-14
• Subjects: audit -- hip fracture -- home visit -- occupational therapy; Occupational therapy -- Periodicals; Occupational therapy -- Australia -- Periodicals; 615.8515
• DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12311
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-0766

Abstract

Abstract : Background/aim: Home visits by occupational therapists are a routine part of practice, but there remains little understanding about factors that are associated with the decision to complete a home visit. The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of pre‐discharge home visits by occupational therapists for patients following hip fracture and explore factors associated with their occurrence. Methods: A retrospective cohort study including 293 patients admitted to a metropolitan health service following hip fracture. Multi‐variate logistic regression was used to identify significant variables associated with receiving a home visit. Results: Home visits were conducted by occupational therapists for 28% of patients admitted from a private residence, and for less than 5% of patients admitted from low‐level residential care facilities. The variables significantly associated with receiving a home visit at a private residence were older age and being admitted to a rehabilitation ward, but the model only explained between 9% and 13% of the variance. Other clinical and socio‐demographic variables evaluated were not associated with the provision of a home visit. Conclusions: About one in four people admitted to hospital from a private residence following hip fracture receive a home visit. The results suggest that whether or not a patient receives a home visit has little to do with socio‐demographic or clinical factors at the time of admission to hospital. There remains much unexplained variation in whether or not a patient receives a home visit and this study highlights the diversity that exists in clinical practice.