Nurse Led Follow-up After Total Knee Arthroplasty (NFTKA)

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of nurse led follow-up following total knee arthroplasty in regard to physical function, health related quality of life and self-efficacy.

Due to shorter hospitalization the patients early have to be responsible for their own rehabilitation. However, the patients experience a variety of health related problems in the rehabilitations period following total knee arthroplasty and they have difficulties transferring health related information to their home settings. Nurse led follow-up in the early rehabilitation period might improve the health status of the patients by improving their knowledge and skills to handle health related problems. No studies found has investigated the effect of nurse led follow-up in form of telephone call following total knee arthroplasty.

total knee arthroplasty, telephone follow-up, physical function, health related quality of life, self-efficacy

Nurse led follow-up in form of consultation by telephone 4 days and 2weeks after discharge, respectively as a supplement to conventional admission course.

All patients follow conventional admission course which implies preoperative seminar and a discharge planning consultation on the day of discharge. The patients are discharged to home, referred to physiotherapy in the community and a scheduled follow-up by the surgeon after 3 month in the orthopedic outpatient clinic.

The consultation is structured by predefined themes relevant for identifying health related problems in regard to illness to give adequate education and counseling. The form of each consultation will vary according to the individual needs of the patients.

Change in physical function assessed by ≥ 12 points in physical function score in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) Index

The WOMAC Index is disease specific measuring health status om three subscales: pain, stiffness and physical function

Inclusion Criteria: primary first-time total knee arthroplasty due to osteoarthrosis followed conventional admission course and discharged ≤ 4 days after surgery understand and talk Danish signed informed consent Exclusion Criteria: in terminal phase of another serious illness such as i.e. cancer with expected lifetime less than 6 months previous total hip replacement

Szots K, Konradsen H, Solgaard S, Ostergaard B. Telephone follow-up by nurse following total knee arthroplasty - protocol for a randomized clinical trial (NCT 01771315). BMC Nurs. 2014 May 21;13:14. doi: 10.1186/1472-6955-13-14. eCollection 2014.