Catherine Ashford1
1Ramsay Health Care, Perth, Australia
Virtual eHealth programs to deliver individualised pre-operative preparation, post-operative and home rehabilitation to patients has the potential to increase program engagement and compliance. This may lead to enhanced recovery outcomes and reduced risk of post-operative complications.
An interprofessional team from a large private hospital in Western Australia created a virtual program for patients undergoing total hip replacement surgery. The objectives include; strengthening the lines of communication between patients and therapists, extending the relationship time between the hospital and patients, improving access to pre and post-operative education for patients in metro and rural locations, and giving patients and their support team tools to prepare both physically and mentally for their hip surgery journey.
One hundred patients undergoing a primary elective total hip replacement were recruited to participate in a six-month parallel, randomized control trial. The control group received the standard education program whilst the intervention group received the tailored virtual program called, “My Hip Journey”. Patients had access to “My Hip Journey” for two weeks pre-operatively and four weeks post-operatively. I will discuss patient feedback, consumer engagement and how this study research is expected to change our practice.
Biography:
Catherine is the Physiotherapy Specialist Coordinator in rthopaedics at Hollywood Private Hospital where she has worked clinically in acute orthopaedics and inpatient rehabilitation. Catherine is currently leading the My Hip Journey research along with the allied health team, clinical team and researchers from Edith Cowan University. The ‘My Hip Journey’ platform was created as an alternative method of delivering information about the hospital and education to prepare patients for their total hip replacement. Real members of the allied health team, nurses, doctors and members of the executive team feature in the education videos. The goal of My Hip Journey is to connect with patients and further engage them in their preparation and rehabilitation for their surgery.