Prehospital education: effectiveness with total hip replacement surgery patients

In-hospital education can reduce anxiety, improve coping and shorten hospital stays of surgical patients. However, hospitals are containing costs by shortening pre- and postoperative stays and reducing the time available for in-hospital teaching. This study evaluated prehospital education for total hip replacement (THR) surgery. Half of the patients waiting for admission for THR surgery were randomly selected to receive a THR education booklet in the mail 4-6 weeks before their scheduled THR surgery. Compared to the No-Booklet patients, patients who had received the booklet were less anxious at the time of hospital admission and at discharge, were more likely to have practised physiotherapy exercises prior to hospitalization, and required significantly less occupational therapy and physiotherapy while in hospital. There were no group differences for length of hospital stay.