Study at Alice Springs Hospital uncovers ‘concerning’ disparity between hip fracture patients

A new study completed in the Red Centre has found a ‘concerning’ disparity, which the authors say ‘places a significant strain on the health system’. Find out what it is.

Alice Springs Hospital.

An Australian-first study conducted at Alice Springs hospital has uncovered a “concerning” disparity between hip fracture patients in the Territory, the authors say.

The study uncovered Indigenous Australian patients hospitalised with hip fractures are facing significantly greater risks than their non-Indigenous Australian counterparts, Alice Springs Hospital head of orthopaedics Dr Kanishka Williams said.

Alice Springs Hospital Head of Orthopaedics Dr Kanishka Williams. Picture: Supplied

A decade of data was analysed in the study which found Indigenous patients with hip fractures were younger, had a lower overall health status, and were likely to suffer from other health issues concurrently.

Indigenous patients were also more likely to be diabetic and have other organ damage, the study found, which was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery.

Dr Williams, who’s also a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, said the disparity “places a significant strain on the healthcare system” and the data was “clear and concerning”.

“We must also address underlying chronic conditions and improve bone health through community-specific initiatives to improve overall health outcomes for Indigenous people,” he said.

“Indigenous patients comprise a significantly greater number of diabetics and are more likely to present with chronic kidney disease, heart disease and heart failure.

“It’s a highly challenging and complex issue, further complicated by limited resources available in regional and remote communities, but governments and health professionals need to work collectively to find a solution.”