Activities

FFN is executing (initially in three pilot countries – Germany, Japan, and the UK – and ultimately globally) a Global Orthogeriatric Services Survey (GOGS) which is mapping the understanding, opportunities, and barriers at an institutional and country level to deliver fracture patient care across acute care, rehabilitation, and secondary prevention.

This information is being gathered through both quantitative surveys (to understand the available services, pathways, and clinical systems currently in place) and qualitative means (through convening focus group discussions in each country to ascertain the attitudes and behaviours of clinicians, patients, and other members of the care and patient team regarding the hand-offs across the acute, rehabilitation, and secondary fracture prevention environment). Data collected through this project will be analysed, displayed via national maps, and disseminated in ways that will facilitate understanding of the current landscape and how these programs work in the acute management of fractures, and including rehabilitation and secondary prevention services.

FFN thanks UCB Inc. for its support of this important initiative.

This is a joint initiative between FFN Education Committee and Regionalisation Committee as the follow on to the successful San Servolo Educational Nursing Project in which educational courses were hosted in many European Countries and China.

Education will be provided which is based on the chapters of the open access Fragility Fracture Nursing book 2nd edition which will be available in late 2022. The project will start as a web course and will include a series of webinars. The following countries have already shown interest in the Orthogeriatric Nursing Project: Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine. The following countries may also be involved: Belarus, Croatia, Czech Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova North Poland, Republic, Romania, Russia. Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.This Orthogeriatric Nursing Project, after the initial distribution in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, will be disseminated in other European Countries and the rest of the world.
Supported by UCB and Orthopaedic Committee of the Chinese Nursing Association.

Lead: Julie Santy Tomlinson

The project aims to improve the quality of life and care of the fractured patient and their caregivers, providing the opportunity for caregivers around the world to access web based educational information for free. The course is structured in 13 modules that cover all the aspects of caregiver support.

The modules are animated and interactive and participants will have the opportunity to communicate with the authors of the modules to get clarifications on the topics. The course will be available in 2022 in a pilot phase and will be disseminated through 2023 worldwide, in line with FFN's regionalisation mission.

Correct nutrition is important for the recovery of fractures and is fundamental in older subjects who have frailty and sarcopenic.

The aim of this project is to educate all health professionals who can influence the prevention of fragility fractures and the care and management of older subjects following the fracture. The contents of this education will be based on the Nutrition book on Interdisciplinary Nutritional Management and Care for Older Adults.

Lead: Stefano Eleuteri

This project supports the education of healthcare professionals using information available in the second edition of the Orthogeriatrics book by providing web based learning materials. Key leaders are developing the three initial modules on Frailty and Sarcopenia, Nutrition and Rehabilitation focusing on the importance of correct nutrition in optimizing rehabilitation and recovery in older frail and sarcopenic patients with fragility fractures.

Lead:
Frailty and Sarcopenia: Finbarr Martin
Nutrition: Jack Bell and Ólöf Geirsdóttir
Rehabilitation: Maria Crotty

A fellowship program is under development with Stefano Eleuteri (Deputy Chair of the Education Committee). This project will have a great impact in spreading the multidisciplinary approach in the healthcare profession, facilitating the planning of stages in the most renewed FFN units around the world.

Lead: Stefano Eleuteri