Palliative Care for Older Adults with Hip Fracture: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study
In an article published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, researchers sought to determine the frequency of palliative care process documentation for older adults hospitalized with hip fracture. They found that documentation of key processes, including goals of care conversations, hospice discussions, and specialty palliative care consultations, was uncommon (less than 25%), due to limited standardization, role uncertainty, and cultural barriers. The authors recommend clearer role delineation across clinical teams, standardized documentation workflows, and reframing goals of care conversations as essential for high-quality hip fracture care.