Continuous nursing care model based health promotion program for orthopedic patients with limb fructures

Abstract: With advancements in medical technology and growing healthcare demands, the traditional nursing model increasingly fails to address the continuous care needs of discharged orthopedic patients, who often struggle with managing their health conditions and developing adequate self-care abilities during rehabilitation. The Continuous Nursing Care Model is defined as an integrated approach that ensures seamless, personalized care through coordinated efforts among hospitals, communities, and families, thereby extending support beyond the inpatient setting. This study aims to evaluate the impact of this model on health status and self-care ability, as well as on reducing rehospitalization rates in orthopedic patients with limb fractures. A multi-phased design will be employed, starting with a cross-sectional phase for baseline data collection and intervention program development, followed by a quasi-experimental phase involving pre- and post-intervention assessments. Aged 18 to 59, discharged from three hospitals in Hangzhou between January and March 2025, will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive comprehensive, personalized care based on the Continuous Nursing Care Model—which includes multidisciplinary team support, targeted health education, psychological counseling, digital health management, and community resource integration—while the control group will receive routine postoperative care. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, chi-square tests, and paired sample analyses after testing for normality to ensure the appropriate use of parametric or non-parametric methods. Rigorous quality assurance measures, such as double data entry and regular data monitoring, will be implemented to ensure data integrity and study validity.