4. Discussion
cognitive impairments, fracture, fractures, loss of mobility and high age
EVENTS, SECONDARY, RECRUITMENT
This pilot study shows that the recruitment rate was considered high, while the collection of primary data was considered high, except for postural sway, which was considered low. The collection of secondary outcomes was considered low. No harmful events were reported. The study also shows that there was no gain in terms of balance, everyday activities, and health-related quality of life after hip fracture for the group randomized to HIFE rehabilitation with or without an IMU compared to the control group. A larger RCT was found to be feasible after the adjustment of outcome data.The postural sway measured with the IMU displayed large variations. This might be due to a number of reasons. The IMU device has shown good reliability compared to a force plate [The recruitment rate was satisfactory (52%), but there may be several reasons for it not being higher. Those who experience hip fractures are often frail with multiple comorbidities, e.g., cognitive impairments, which may affect their ability to participate in the study [The retention rate was 78%, which may be due to the individually tailored interventions. Due to loss of mobility and high age, it is important that interventions after hip fracture meet the individual needs and personal prerequisites required to enhance motivation and, therefore, improve outcome [The decision that a full RCT is feasible to perform was made after discussions in the team concerning the possibilities of adjusting the protocol in a way that recruitment and abilities to collect outcomes at follow-up could be more efficient. In particular, the decision to collect data on postural sway more frequently, together with position and mobility data from the body-worn IMU, may improve the ability to truly individualize rehabilitation.