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Impact of telemedicine intervention on postoperative outcomes after fast-track THA
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September 2017
Impact of telemedicine intervention on postoperative outcomes after fast-track THA
Study Type:Therapy
OE Level Evidence:2
Journal Level of Evidence:N/A
Telemedicine support shortens length of stay after fast-track hip replacement
Acta Orthop. 2017 Feb;88(1):41-47Did you know you're eligible to earn 0.5 CME credits for reading this report? Click Here
Synopsis
73 patients scheduled for fast-track total hip arthroplasty were randomized to a telemedicine intervention for use after scheduled discharge on postoperative day one, or to a standard pathway with training and rehabilitation on postoperative day one, and discharge on postoperative day two. Patients were assessed for mean length of stay, health-related quality-of-life, function, and readmission rate. Results demonstrated a significantly shorter length of stay in the telemedicine group compared to the control group. Health-related quality-of-life, function, and readmission rate over the 12-month follow-up were similar between groups
Publication Funding Details
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Funding:
Non-Industry funded
Sponsor:
CareTech Innovation (Aarhus University) funded through the EU and Central Denmark Region
Conflicts:
None disclosed
Was the allocation sequence adequately generated?
Was allocation adequately concealed?
Blinding Treatment Providers: Was knowledge of the allocated interventions adequately prevented?
Blinding Outcome Assessors: Was knowledge of the allocated interventions adequately prevented?
Blinding Patients: Was knowledge of the allocated interventions adequately prevented?
Was loss to follow-up (missing outcome data) infrequent?
Are reports of the study free of suggestion of selective outcome reporting?
Were outcomes objective, patient-important and assessed in a manner to limit bias (ie. duplicate assessors, Independent assessors)?
Was the sample size sufficiently large to assure a balance of prognosis and sufficiently large number of outcome events?
Was investigator expertise/experience with both treatment and control techniques likely the same (ie.were criteria for surgeon participation/expertise provided)?
Yes = 1
Uncertain = 0.5
Not Relevant = 0
No = 0
The Reporting Criteria Assessment evaluates the transparency with which authors report the methodological and trial characteristics of the trial within the publication. The assessment is divided into five categories which are presented below.
2/4
Randomization
2/4
Outcome Measurements
3/4
Inclusion / Exclusion
3/4
Therapy Description
4/4
Statistics
Detsky AS, Naylor CD, O'Rourke K, McGeer AJ, L'Abbé KA. J Clin Epidemiol. 1992;45:255-65
The Fragility Index is a tool that aids in the interpretation of significant findings, providing a measure of strength for a result. The Fragility Index represents the number of consecutive events that need to be added to a dichotomous outcome to make the finding no longer significant. A small number represents a weaker finding and a large number represents a stronger finding.
Why was this study needed now?
The number of total hip arthroplasty procedures performed per year is expected to increase with the aging population. This has placed pressure on health care systems to improve efficiency, making fast-track procedures an attractive option. While some trials have demonstrated the efficacy of fast-track techniques the addition of telemedicine during the early postoperative period could allow for earlier discharge from the hospital. However, the effect of earlier discharge and the addition of telehealth medicine on quality of life outcomes and safety has yet to be assessed in rigorous clinical trials.
What was the principal research question?
In fast-track total hip arthroplasty, does a telemedicine intervention have a significant effect on length of stay, health-related quality-of-life, function, anxiety, or re-admission rate when compared to a standard fast-track postoperative program?
Study Characteristics
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Population:
73 patients scheduled for total hip arthroplasty. All cases were performed under spinal anaesthesia, and postoperative analgesia was with wound infiltration.
Intervention:
Telemedicine group: Patients were discharged to home on the first postoperative day and used the telemedicine support system, which included video conferences on day 3 and 6 and a visit from a physiotherapist on day 3. (n=36)
Comparison:
Control group: Patients underwent training and rehabilitation on the first postoperative day and were discharged on second postoperative day. (n=37)
Outcomes:
The Primary outcome was the length of stay. Secondary outcomes included health-related quality-of-life on the EQ-5D-3L, function on the Oxford Hip Score and the Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test, anxiety on a visual analog scale (VAS; 0-100mm), and re-admission rate.
Methods:
RCT
Time:
Follow-up was scheduled for 12 months.
What were the important findings?
- Length of stay was significantly shorter in the telemedicine group compared to the control group (MD; -0.72 days [95%CI -1.02, -0.42]; p<0.001).
- Discharge home on the first postoperative day occurred in 34/36 patients of the telemedicine group. Discharge home on the first postoperative day occurred in 8/36 in the control group, and on the second postoperative day in 26/36 day.
- There was no significant difference in change in EQ-5D-3L scores after 12 months between groups (MD -0.01 [95%CI -0.063, 0.036]; p=0.6).
- There was no significant difference between groups in change in OHS after 12 months (MD 0.39 [95%CI -2.1, 2.9]; p=0.8), or change in TUG test results after 12 months (MD 0.6 seconds [95%CI -0.05, 1.26]; p=0.07).
- There were no significant differences between groups in the number of extra visits to the hospital (p=0.4) or in the number of readmissions (p=0.3). There were significantly fewer calls placed among patients of the telemedicine (0.92 [95%CI 0.56-0.73]) compared to the control group (1.5 [95%CI 1.1-1.9]) (p=0.04).
What should I remember most?
In patients undergoing fast-track total hip arthroplasty, the implementation of a telemedicine system allowed for a higher rate of patients discharged on the first postoperative day when compared to a standard postoperative program with training and rehabilitation on the first postoperative day. Similar improvements in health-related quality-of-life, function, and anxiety were noted over the 12-month follow-up.
How will this affect the care of my patients?
The results of this study suggest that the implementation of a telemedicine could be beneficial in fast-track total hip arthroplasty pathways to allow for earlier discharge, along with similar quality-of-life and functional outcome to that achieved by a standard fast-track pathway which use the first postoperative day to implement training of rehabilitation prior to discharge.
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