Nursing intervention by telephone interviews of patients aged over 65 years after total hip replacement improves health status: a randomised clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
We hypothesised that all areas of health status after total hip replacement could be improved in patients aged over 65 years and over by using telephone support and counselling 2 and 10 weeks after surgery compared with a control group receiving conventional care and treatment.


METHODS
A randomised clinical trial focusing on patients' health status by using short-form 36 at 4 weeks preoperatively and 3 and 9 months postoperatively was carried out.


METHODS
180 patients aged 65 years and over were randomised 4 weeks preoperatively to either control or intervention groups.


METHODS
both groups received conventional surgical treatment, but the intervention group was interviewed by telephone 2 and 10 weeks after surgery. Patients were given counselling within eight main dimensions with reference to their postoperative situation.


RESULTS
All patients experienced improvement in health status. The intervention significantly reduced the time patients needed to reach their habitual levels in three of eight areas of their health status: the intervention patients reached their habitual levels at 3 months whereas the control patients reached theirs after 9 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Intervention by telephone support and counselling in the postoperative phase seems to benefit patients' improvement in health status.
Hørdam
Britta
B
Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. bhoerdam@mail.dk
Sabroe
Svend
S
Pedersen
Preben Ulrich
PU
Mejdahl
Steen
S
Søballe
Kjeld
K
D000368:Aged; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000379:methods*; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data