title: Outpatient rehabilitation care process factors and clinical outcomes among patients discharged home following unilateral total knee arthroplasty.
abstract: Research examining care process variables and their relationship to clinical outcomes after total knee arthroplasty has focused primarily on inpatient variables. Care process factors related to outpatient rehabilitation have not been adequately examined. We conducted a retrospective review of 321 patients evaluating outpatient care process variables including use of continuous passive motion, home health physical therapy, number of days from inpatient discharge to beginning outpatient physical therapy, and aspects of outpatient physical therapy (number of visits, length of stay) as possible predictors of pain and disability outcomes of outpatient physical therapy. Only the number of days between inpatient discharge and outpatient physical therapy predicted better outcomes, suggesting that this may be a target for improving outcomes after total knee arthroplasty for patients discharged directly home.
authors.affiliation: Intermountain Healthcare Physical Therapy, Salt Lake City, Utah.
authors.forename: Gerard P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy, Carl R. Darnell Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas.
authors.forename: L T C Kevin M
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Houck
authors.affiliation: Intermountain Healthcare Physical Therapy, Salt Lake City, Utah.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: care pathway; physical therapy; quality improvement; rehabilitation; total knee arthroplasty