Missed hip fracture follow-up linked to higher mortality
Missing a surgeon visit within six weeks was associated with 2.21 times the adjusted odds of death within one year compared with attending.
Our read
Populations- Studied:
- Cohort study of 2,118 older adults recovering from hip fractures, against patients who attended
- What changed:
- For patients missing follow-up, adjusted odds of death within one year were 2.21 times those among patients who attended
- The catch:
- Unmeasured health problems or barriers to care could explain both missed visits and deaths
- In the record:
- The 1,564th paper on smoking with results in people; 4,747 on record in all.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Among 2,118 adults aged 70 or older who underwent hip fracture surgery, 632 (29.8%) missed a surgeon visit within six weeks after discharge. An observational cohort study using past records examined patients who had surgery at two urban US trauma centers between 2018 and 2024. Their median age was 84, and 68.6% were female.
Men, current smokers and people living more than 25 miles from the hospital were less likely to attend. Missing follow-up was associated with higher one-year mortality after accounting for other measured factors. The adjusted odds of death were 2.21 times those among patients who attended.
Why it matters
For older adults recovering from hip fractures, the authors viewed targeted efforts to improve follow-up attendance as a possible way to reduce disparities and support health equity.
Caveats
Unmeasured health problems or barriers to care could have contributed to both missed visits and deaths. The analysis excluded people who died or were readmitted within six weeks after discharge, and those without planned follow-up at the centers.
The paper
Factors associated with early follow-up attendance after geriatric hip fracture surgery
Brigham and Women's Hospital
European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology, Jun 13, 2026
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