Effect of continuous nursing on rehabilitation of older patients with joint replacement after discharge

Joint replacement is a common treatment for older patients with high incidences of hip joint diseases. However, postoperative recovery is slow and complications are common, which reduces surgical effectiveness. Therefore, patients require long-term, high-quality, and effective nursing interventions to promote rehabilitation. Continuity of care has been used successfully in other diseases; however, little research has been conducted on older patients who have undergone hip replacement.

To explore the clinical effect of continuous nursing on rehabilitation after discharge of older individuals who have undergone joint replacement.

A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 113 elderly patients. Patients receiving routine nursing were included in the convention group (n = 60), and those receiving continuous nursing, according to various methods, were included in the continuation group (n = 53). Harris score, short form 36 (SF-36) score, complication rate, and readmission rate were compared between the convention and continuation groups.

After discharge, Harris and SF-36 scores of the continuation group were higher than those of the convention group. The Harris and SF-36 scores of the two groups showed an increasing trend with time, and there was an interaction effect between group and time (Harris score: F _{intergroup effect} = 376.500, F _{time effect} = 20.090, F _{interaction effect} = 4.824; SF-36 score: F _{intergroup effect} = 236.200, F _{time effect} = 16.710, F _{interaction effect} = 5.584; all P < 0.05). Furthermore, the total complication and readmission rates in the continuation group were lower (P < 0.05).

Continuous nursing could significantly improve hip function and quality of life in older patients after joint replacement and reduce the incidence of complications and readmission rates.