Effectiveness of a Geographic Information System-Integrated Mobile Platform for Coordinating Early Stage Rehabilitation After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Study Summary

142 adults who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) were randomized to receive either the Health-Geographic Information System (GIS) mobile rehabilitation coordination platform or standard general practitioner-mediated referral for rehabilitation. The primary outcomes of interest were time to initiation of second-stage rehabilitation and health-related quality of life measured using the SF-12 Physical and Mental Component Summary scores. Secondary outcomes included Harris Hip Score (HHS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score, System Usability Scale (SUS), and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Outcomes were assessed over 12 months, with evaluations at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months depending on the outcome measure. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the GIS-integrated platform significantly shortened the time to rehabilitation initiation and improved physical health-related quality of life, hip function during early recovery, and QALYs compared with standard referral, while pain outcomes remained similar between groups. These findings suggest that a GIS-enabled mobile coordination platform is an effective digital strategy for improving access to early rehabilitation following total hip arthroplasty.