Hip fracture patients exhibit poorer premorbid quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with significant mortality, morbidity, and poorer quality of life (QoL) and functional health. However, its effects on older people with hip fractures have not been studied. Objectives This study aims to determine the effects of the pandemic on pre-morbid functional status and QoL in older people with hip fractures. Methods Our cohort study included 1466 patients who sustained a hip fracture between 2018 and 2021, and were divided into three groups: Pre-COVID, Early-COVID and Late-COVID. Demographic data, pre-morbid functional status and QoL were assessed using four different indices at one time point – Parker Mobility Score (PMS), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), EuroQol- 5 Dimension (EQ-5D) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Results 47 patients (3.2%) had incomplete data available and the remaining 1419 (96.8%) patients were analysed, with 721 (50.8%), 366 (25.8%) and 332 (23.4%) patients presented in the Pre-COVID, Early-COVID and Late-COVID periods respectively. There was no significant difference in the premorbid PMS, MBI and EQ-5D between the three groups. However, PRE-COVID patients had significantly better premorbid SF-36 physical and mental component summary scores than LATE-COVID patients. There was no significant difference in the premorbid SF-36 scores between PRE-COVID and EARLY-COVID patients. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic had a detrimental effect on the pre-morbid QoL of elderly hip fracture patients. These findings have important implications for downstream care provision and can help guide the development of protocols and resource allocation strategies in preparation for future pandemics.