Hip Fracture Surgery, Mobility Limitation, Postoperative Rehabilitation
Conditions
Keywords
Early mobility, Physical activity, Feasibility study, Frequent mobility, hospitalization, Fidelity
Brief summary
This clinical study examines whether a co-designed mobility intervention can be delivered in routine hospital care after hip fracture surgery. Hip fracture is a common and serious condition among older adults and is associated with loss of independence, complications, and increased mortality. During hospitalization, many patients remain inactive, even though early and frequent mobility is considered important for recovery. The HIP-ME-UP intervention was developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and hospital management. It aims to support early mobilization, independence in basic mobility activities such as getting in and out of bed and increased physical activity during hospitalization. The study will investigate whether the intervention is feasible to deliver in routine clinical practice, whether it is delivered as intended, and whether it is acceptable to patients and healthcare professionals. Participants admitted after a hip fracture surgery will receive the intervention during hospitalization. Researchers will collect information on recruitment, retention, fidelity, acceptability, and mobility-related outcomes. Approximately 25 participants will be included. The results will help determine whether a larger effectiveness study should be conducted.
Detailed description
This study evaluates the feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of a co-designed intervention developed within the HIP-ME-UP research program to promote early and frequent mobility among older adults hospitalized after hip fracture surgery. Despite clinical recommendations for early mobilization, patients with hip fracture are often inactive during hospitalization, which may negatively impact recovery. The intervention was developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals, management, patients, and caregivers to address this gap. The HIP-ME-UP intervention consists of four components: 1. A dedicated porter supporting physiotherapy and occupational therapy mobility activities 2. A standardized training concept to promote independence in getting in and out of bed 3. Group-based exercise supervised by physiotherapists 4. Personal activities of daily living (P-ADL) performed in the bathroom when feasible The study uses a single-site, single-group feasibility design and will be conducted over an approximately 8-week period in orthopedic wards at Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre. The primary aim is to assess whether the intervention can be delivered as intended in routine clinical practice. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment, retention, and data completeness. Fidelity will be assessed in terms of adherence to intervention content, dose, frequency, and quality of delivery. Acceptability will be explored through interviews and questionnaire responses among patients and healthcare professionals. Clinical and functional outcomes, including mobility, physical activity, pain, and health-related quality of life, will be collected descriptively to support interpretation of feasibility findings and potential mechanisms of impact. Feasibility will be evaluated using predefined progression criteria focusing on recruitment, retention, fidelity, and acceptability. These criteria will be interpreted using a traffic-light approach categorizing results as "stop", "amend", or "go". Progression decisions will be based on an integrated assessment of quantitative feasibility outcomes together with qualitative process data describing barriers, facilitators, and adaptations during implementation. The findings will be reviewed by the HIP-ME-UP research group and steering committee to determine whether the intervention and trial procedures are sufficiently feasible to proceed to a future large-scale randomized effectiveness trial. The study is not designed to evaluate clinical effectiveness. The study applies a feasibility-oriented outcome framework without hierarchical prioritization of outcomes. Feasibility, fidelity, acceptability, process data, and descriptive clinical outcomes are assessed in parallel, each contributing equally to a comprehensive evaluation of whether and how the HIP-ME-UP intervention can be delivered in routine clinical practice. The study was assessed by the Regional Commitee on Health Research Ethics of the Capital Region of Denmark with journal no. H-26006578.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHIP-ME-UP mobility intervention
A multicomponent intervention designed to support early and frequent mobility during hospitalization after hip fracture surgery. The intervention includes a dedicated porter supporting mobility activities, standardized training concept to promote independence in bed transfer, group-based exercise supervised by physiotherapists, and encouragement of personal activities of daily living in the bathroom. The intervention is delivered by physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and porters as part of routine clinical care during hospitalization.
Sponsors
Hvidovre University Hospital
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Single-group pre-post feasibility study evaluating feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of a co-designed mobility intervention delivered during hospitalization after hip fracture surgery
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Age ≥ 60 years. * Admitted to one of the two acute orthopedic wards at Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre (CUHH) following hip fracture surgery. * Pre-fracture Cumulated Ambulation Score (CAS) (by recall) ≥ 3 points, indicating independence or assisted independence in basic mobility activities such as bed transfer, chair transfer, and indoor walking. * Participants may be included if they are able to provide informed consent independently or if informed consent is obtained from a legally authorized proxy (e.g., caregiver or close relative) in cases of cognitive impairment. This applies to both Danish- and non-Danish speaking patients. Non-Danish speakers may be included with support from translated study materials and assistance from relatives or interpreters, where appropriate. * Inclusion the latest on postoperative day three.
Exclusion criteria
* Non-ambulatory before the fracture, e.g. permanently bedbound or wheelchair-dependent. * Terminal illness with limited expected survival. * Post-operative weight-bearing restrictions precluding mobility activities. * Multiple fractures or suspected pathological fractures (e.g. related to malignancy). * Clinically unstable or presenting conditions in which early mobilization is contraindicated. * Patients who previously participated in HIP-ME-UP Study 4, ensuring that recipients in Study 6 have not been prior HIP-ME-UP study participants or patient partners.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment rate | Continuous during recruitment period (up to 8 weeks) | Proportion of patients providing informed consent among those assessed for eligibility |
| Retention rate | At discharge and 4 months post-discharge | Proportion of included participants completing planned assessments |
| Data completeness | Through study completion, up to 4 months post-discharge | Proportion of completed data among expected assessments |
| Fidelity of intervention delivery | Continuously targeted observations during the 8-week intervention period | Assessed via structured observations and logs reported as proportions and descriptive measures of adherence, dose, frequency, and quality |
| Patient acceptability of the intervention | At discharge | Assessed using semi-structured interviews assessing perceived relevance, appropriateness, and burden of the intervention |
| Healthcare professional acceptability of the intervention | The last four weeks of the intervention period or shortly thereafter | Assessed using semi-structured interviews and questionnaire responses based on the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. All questionnaire items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5), higher scores depend on the item/domain, with higher scores indicating either greater acceptability for positively framed items or greater burden for negatively framed items |
Countries
Denmark
Contacts
STUDY_DIRECTORMaria S Hansen, PhD
Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre
Outcome results
None listed