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Comparison of two home care protocols for total joint replacement.

Weaver FM, Hughes SL, Almagor O, Wixson R, Manheim L, Fulton B, Singer R. Comparison of two home care protocols for total joint replacement. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2003 Apr 1; 51(4):523-8.

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Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of a more-efficient home care protocol to manage total joint replacement (TJR) patients after surgery. DESIGN: A randomized trial of two home care protocols for TJR management. SETTING: A hospital-affiliated home healthcare agency in a large midwestern city. PARTICIPANTS: Medicare-eligible individuals undergoing elective total hip or knee replacement surgery (N = 136). INTERVENTION: A home care protocol that included preoperative home visits by a nurse and a physical therapist and fewer postoperative visits (range of 9-12 visits) to the home than an existing protocol (range of 11-47 visits). MEASUREMENTS: Functional status, lower extremity functioning, health-related quality of life, satisfaction with care, and use and cost of healthcare services for 6 months postsurgery. RESULTS: There were no differences in functional status, health-related quality of life, or lower extremity functioning by group at 6 months. A marginally significant gain in satisfaction with access to care (P = .059) was found in the intervention group at 6 months. Home healthcare costs were 55% lower for the streamlined group (P < .001). Other costs did not differ significantly by group. CONCLUSION: TJR patients who received the more-efficient home care protocol experienced comparable outcomes to those who received the existing protocol. An abbreviated set of home care visits resulted in more-efficient delivery of care without compromising patient outcomes.




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