The effect of waiting time on health-related quality of life, pain, and physical function in patients awaiting primary total hip replacement: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
This prospective randomized study assessed the effect of waiting time (WT) on health outcomes in Finnish patients admitted to hospital for primary total hip replacement (THR).


METHODS
A total of 395 consecutive patients with a need for a primary THR because of osteoarthritis and who were placed on the waiting list between August 2002 and November 2003. After placement on the waiting list, the patients were randomly assigned to a short WT (<or=3 months) group (n = 174) or a nonfixed WT group (n = 221). The patients completed self-administered questionnaires at the time of placing on the waiting list and at hospital admission. Health-related quality of life was measured by the generic 15D instrument. Hip pain and function were measured by the patient self-report Harris hip score (HHS).


RESULTS
Of the 395 patients, 312 (79%) completed the follow-up (140 patients with short and 172 with nonfixed WT). At admission, the mean 15D scores for patients with short and nonfixed WT were 0.784 and 0.783, respectively. In the intention-to-treatment analysis, the difference between the groups (Delta 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.019 to 0.021) was not statistically significant or clinically important. The mean self-report HHS in patients with short WT was 43.5, and among those with nonfixed WT was 41.9. The difference (Delta 1.6, 95% CI: -1.77 to 4.87) was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Both generic and disease-specific measures revealed that longer WTs did not result in poorer health status at admission.
Hirvonen
Johanna
J
National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. johanna.hirvonen@thl.fi
Tuominen
Ulla
U
Seitsalo
Seppo
S
Lehto
Matti
M
Paavolainen
Pekka
P
Hietaniemi
Kalevi
K
Rissanen
Pekka
P
Sintonen
Harri
H
Blom
Marja
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006304:Health Status; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014850:Waiting Lists