Patient safety in elderly hip fracture patients: design of a randomised controlled trial.

Background: The clinical environment in which health care providers have to work everyday is highly complex; this increases the risk for the occurrence of unintended events. The aim of this randomised controlled trial is to improve patient safety for a vulnerable group of patients that have to go through a complex care chain, namely elderly hip fracture patients.

Methods/design: A randomised controlled trial that consists of three interventions; these will be implemented in three surgical wards in Dutch hospitals.