Research Bursary Program
Supervisor Project Proposal for Summer 2015
Supervisor Last Name: Levinoff
Supervisor First Name: Elise
McGill Dept/School: Geriatrics
Faculty Professor (Full, Associate or Assistant): Assistant Professor
Email: elise.levinoff@mcgill.ca
Phone No. (optional):
Research Field: Geriatrics, Cognition
Proposal No. (1 or 2): 1
Research Location (McGill or affiliated institution): Jewish General Hospital
Ethics approval will be required for proposed project (Yes/No): Yes
Proposed project will involve chart reviews (Yes/No): Yes
Project Title (maximum 1 line): A retrospective analysis of functional and cognitive outcomes in elderly patients
after surgery for hip fracture.
Hypothesis/Question to be Addressed (maximum 4 lines): The hypothesis of the project is that elderly
individuals who required assistance for daily activities prior to sustaining a hip fracture, and those individuals who
developed delirium or used psychotropic medications were the ones who were at highest risk for frailty post
operatively.
Specific Aims (maximum 10 lines):
The one year mortality after hip fractures is high in community dwelling elderly. However, there is a paucity of
data that identifies what baseline factors prior to hip fracture contribute to the frailty syndrome in the elderly,
which can occur after hip surgery. The aim of this project is to retrospectively identify the pre-operative risk
factors (i.e. number of medications, cognitive impairment, post operative delirium, medical comorbidities,
functional status) that precipitated the frailty syndrome in elderly patients who underwent emergent hip
fractures.
Role of Student (maximum 15 lines): The role of the student will be to conduct a literature search on the topic of
hip fractures in community dwelling elderly and morbidity outcomes. The student will play a key role in the data
collection, and analysis. Throughout the summer, the student will be an active participant in research sessions
and journal clubs to further understand the research and clinical concept of frailty. The student will also receive
exposure to the concept of the comprehensive geriatric evaluation and the role of the multi-disciplinary team at
preventing frailty from developing in vulnerable elderly patients. The student will be involved in writing up an
abstract and presenting the data.