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Clinic designed to follow-up after total joint replacement reports high attendance rates, patient satisfaction
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PRAGUE — A specialized physiotherapy-based clinic in Australia working in conjunction with an orthopaedic surgery department during follow-up of total joint replacement cases on an outpatient basis reported an 85% attendance rate for the follow-up appointments.
“We have not seen any adverse outcomes at the clinic to date,” Bernarda Cavka of St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, said.
Cavka, a physiotherapist at the clinic presented results of her study at the SICOT XXV Triennial World Congress 2011, here.
The Joint Replacement Surgery clinic followed 253 patients with 284 joint replacements between October 2009 and June 2011 for their follow-up visits at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months and annually thereafter, once the orthopaedic surgeon completed the 6-week postoperative review and exam. Clinic staff members collected Oxford hip and knee scores, took BMI measurements, assessed joint range of motion, in addition to receiving special training from radiologists and orthopaedists. All the physiotherapists completed competency training in radiology prior to the start of the clinic, according to the abstract.
Of those patients seen at the clinic to date, “39 patients … required further discussion with the orthopaedic unit. Fifteen of those patients have been transferred back to the orthopaedic surgeon for further management. Five [patients] have been wait-listed for revision surgery,” Cavka said.
A satisfaction survey completed by 30 patients treated at the clinic showed that 27 patients were highly satisfied with its overall service.
Cases deemed complex or complicated are not referred to the clinic.
Reference:
- Cavka, B, Bucknill A, Hatfield A, Carey B. Joint replacement reviews conducted by physiotherapists – A safe and effective model. Paper #28774. Presented at the SICOT XXV Triennial World Congress 2011. Sept. 6-9. Prague.
- Disclosure: Cavka has no relevant financial disclosures.
This is an excellent paper and an excellent model for managing the patient in a time with an increasing demand for follow-up.
— Henrich Malchau, MD, PhD
Session
moderator
Co-director, Harris Orthopaedic Laboratory
Massachusetts
General Hospital
Boston
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