Patient involvement in own rehabilitation after early discharge.

BACKGROUND: A European Union Commission report in 2015 concluded that the concept of patient involvement refers specially to the right of patients to have a central position in the healthcare process (EU Commission 2012, https://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/quali/ql_5937_patient_en.pdf). Recent research suggests that patient involvement after hip replacement is a very effective strategy in older adults with regard to improving walking ability and reducing pain and thereby lessening loss of physical, mental and social aspects of the quality of life. The growing number of older adults all over the world will increase the need for hip surgery.

HYPOTHESIS: Older adults' involvement in own rehabilitation improves their health and quality of life after hip replacement.

AIM: To involve and coach older adults with a hip replacement to self-care after early discharge in transition between hospital and home.

POPULATION: Empirical data were collected by carrying out three randomised clinical trials (RCT) focusing on self-rated health and involvement of patients undergoing total hip replacement in three Danish orthopaedic clinics. Based on power calculation, 260 patients (mean age 67.5 years) were invited to participate. In this third study in 2010-2013, patients were randomised to either an intervention group or a control group.

METHODOLOGY: Randomised clinical trials (RCT). Questionnaire SF-36 a generic tool measuring patients' self-rated health status and quality of life. All patients filled out SF-36 before surgery and again 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after surgery. Patients in the intervention group had an additional follow-up 1, 3 and 7 weeks after discharge by nurses from orthopaedic clinic in hospital. The nurses used a semi-structured interview guide as intervention model to coach, counsel and involve patients to improve their self-care and planned rehabilitation after hip replacement.

RESULTS: Older adults benefit through involvement based on an intervention model of expectations, measurement of self-rated health and quality of life. The results of the randomised trials one and two documented that patients' self-rated health status in the intervention group reached their habitual level 3 months after hip replacement vs. 9 months in the control group. Since our working hypothesis 'patient involvement in own rehabilitation improves health and quality of life after hip replacement' was found valid, our ambition is now based on results from this third study to contribute to further research and development within patient involvement.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: To follow new evidence-based research, results concluded that walking ability is very necessary in order to increase physical activity to benefit the health of older adults and prevent disease.