Clinical Research Directory

Evaluating a Strategy to Improve Pre-Anesthesia Care Discussions (My Anesthesia Choice-Hip Fracture)

The objective of this study is to assess the implementation process for and the effectiveness of a quality improvement (QI) strategy to increase shared decision-making around anesthesia options for hip fracture surgery at 6 US hospitals. The QI strategy is to be facilitated by a clinician-administered 1-page bedside conversation aid designed to improve the quality of physician-patient communication, paired with brief clinician training. The evaluation will occur via a stepped wedge, cluster randomized trial to be carried out over a period of 34 months.

Preoperative Use of Peripheral Nerve Blocks in Elderly Patients With Hip Fractures

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore the effects of different peripheral nerve blocks in older adults with hip fractures. It will also explore the safety of preoperative administration of peripheral nerve blocks. The main questions this trial aims to answer are: * which peripheral nerve block is the best regarding analgesia * which peripheral nerve block eases positioning and decrease time necessary for applying spinal anesthesia? * which peripheral nerve block is associated with reduced intake of analgesics, both oral and intravenous? * which peripheral nerve block lasts long enough but does not interfere with the start of physical therapy? * what medical problems do respondents have during their hospitalization, after administration of peripheral nerve blocks, spinal anesthesia and surgery? * what medical problems arise as a consequence of their complex medical history? Researchers will compare respondents who receive peripheral nerve blocks to those who do not. Those who do not receive blocks will be given fentanyl preoperatively, which was until recently standard at our institution. All respondents will, in addition to obligatory intraoperative monitoring,: * be thoroughly examined by anesthesiologists before surgery * be closely monitored after surgery, until their hospital discharge.