Spouses' involvement in older patients' fast-track programmes during total hip replacement using case management...

To present the protocol of a two-group quasi-experimental study of spouses' involvement through case management (The SICAM-trial) in older patients' fast-track programmes during total hip replacement.

Patients in fast-track programmes are required to take an active part in their treatment and rehabilitation. Spouses of older patients can often provide valued practical and emotional support, reducing stress, pain and length of stay - yet they are seldom invited to participate in a supporting role.

A two-group quasi-experimental design with pre-test and repeated post-test measures (protocol approved in November 2012).

A total of 120 patients aged 65 years or older going through a fast-track programme for a total hip replacement and their spouses will be recruited from one Danish orthopaedic ward. We will initially include the control group for data collection and subsequently include the intervention group to avoid contamination of the control group. A case manager will be recruited to perform the case management intervention. Data will be collected from both groups at baseline, 2 weeks and 3 months after surgery. Outcome measures for patients include: functional status, nutrition, pain, depression and healthcare consumptions; and for spouses: caregiver satisfaction and difficulties and anxiety.

The intervention will give further evidence on the need for relatives' participation in the patients' fast-track programmes and the results will contribute to education of the health professionals in their need to include relatives in fast-track programmes. The study was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Regional Health Scientific Foundation of Sealand.