A Telemedicine Solution for Remote Support of Rehabilitation, for Patients Undergoing, Total Hip Arthroplasty Surgery

This PhD study evaluates the effect of an information technology solution containing RRS. The way it supports, informs and educates the patient and support person, provides an opportunity for communication between the patient and the surgeons, physiotherapists and nurses at the hospital.

The parameters evaluated will be: Length of stay, health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL), functional outcome, pain, anxiety, complications and an evaluation of the socio-economic effect.

The aim of the study generates the following hypotheses and focus for publication

• Length of stay is lower for the intervention group compared to the control group.
• The average quality of life measured with EQ-5D will either be the same or higher when comparing the intervention group with the control group.
• Compared to the control group the functional outcome of the intervention group measured with Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) will be the same or better.
• Complications measured as luxations, infections, and reoperations are the same or lower in the intervention group compared to the control group.
• There will be a correlation between patients with the highest level of psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology measured with Symptom Checklist-90-R, and the postoperative outcome measured with EQ5D, anxiety and TUG.
• There will be a correlation between support persons with the highest level of psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology measured with Symptom Checklist-90-R, and the postoperative outcome measured with EQ5D, anxiety and TUG for the patient they are related to.
• The socio-economic costs will be lower for the intervention group compared to the control group based on self reported data and data collected from official databases. This study will be conducted as a piggy back to the RCT.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients qualified to go trough at joint-care procedure after the guidelines from Regionshospitalet Silkeborg.

Exclusion criteria

• Previous hip surgery with the implantation of a total hip arthroplasty.
• Patients living more than approximately 60 kilometers from the Regionshospitalet Silkeborg.
• Patients with no 3G tele-net at their home address.
• Patients with the need of Danish interpretation.