Purpose: While personal impact and patient experience following a hip fracture is well documented, the patient illness experience following non-hip minimal-trauma-fractures (MTFs) (e.g.: distal radius, vertebral and humeral) is rarely studied. We sought to explore the patient experience and expectations of fracture care in an acute tertiary hospital for non-hip MTF patients. Understanding the patient experience and journey from fracture to recovery, can help enable implementation of patient-centered care post MTFs.
Methods: Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was adopted, which is well suited to explore how participants make sense of their world and experiences. Participants were recruited from the Liverpool Hospital Osteoporosis Refracture Prevention Clinic. Semi-structured interviews exploring illness experience and impact of the fracture were conducted until thematic saturation was reached.
Results: Twelve women and 3 men aged from 59 to 79 years old were recruited in the study until thematic saturation was reached. Four themes were identified through the patient interviews in their experience post fracture: Fear of another fracture, impact of the fracture, gratitude for the service and behaviour change post fracture.
Conclusion: The impacts of hip fractures are well documented in the literature, however, the impact of non-hip MTFs and the impact on the patient as a consequence remains to be investigated. Our findings assist in understanding the patient experience of those individuals who have sustained a non-hip MTF. There is a need for providing education, pharmacological treatment options, exercise and dietary advice, emotional and social support; and addressing patient’s post-fracture pain.