Effect of Prehabilitation on Functional Outcomes and Hospital Length of Stay Following Total Joint Arthroplasty

The purpose of this study was to determine how prehabilitation effects functional outcomes and length of stay in patients that have undergone total joint arthroplasties. Patients have continued to report being unhappy with their results of surgery and a large majority of the time is secondary to patients not being appropriately prepared for what to expect during their surgical recovery period. This information is important because occupational therapists and physical therapists continue to strive to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes. One of the ethical principles that healthcare providers commit to achieving is that of beneficence which means the clinicians must do good by their patients. One of the ways to do good by patients is ensuring to utilize the most up to date, evidence-based practice with patients to ensure they are receiving the best possible care. The central research question to be answered in this research is: Does prehabilitation education for total joint replacement surgeries improve post operative functional outcomes and reduce the patient’s length of stay? Data collection will be obtained through review of patient charts to assess patient’s length of stay in the hospital and the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AMPAC) to determine functional outcomes the day after the patient’s surgery. Literature continued to suggest that further research needs to be conducted to establish prehabilitation protocols and guidelines to be utilized in total joint replacement surgeries. However, it was suggested that prehabilitation can play an important role in reduction hospital length of stay and improving functional outcomes.