Effect of Self-care Training Using Educational Booklet on Physical and Mental Health of the Patients Undergoing Hip Joint Replacement Surgery

Although hip joint replacement is one of the most successful orthopedic surgeries and is referred to as the operation of the century, the rehabilitation period after this surgery is usually lengthy and can affect the physical and mental health of the patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of self-care training using the educational booklet on the physical and mental health of the patients undergoing hip joint replacement surgery.

In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 60 patients were selected using convenience sampling method from those who had referred to two selected hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences during 2016 and were divided into experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. Data were collected using demographic characteristics form and SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire. At the beginning of the study, the demographic characteristics forms were completed by the study participants. Afterward, the patients in the experimental group were given self-care training using an educational booklet. The training was completed in 5 sessions, and each session lasted 30-45 minutes. The SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire was completed by the participants on the day of discharge and eight weeks later when they visited the clinic again. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 20) through descriptive statistics (i.e. frequency, frequency percentage, and mean±SD) and inferential statistics (i.e. Chi-square, Wilcoxon, and Mann-Whitney tests).

In general, a significant increase was observed in the mean scores of physical and mental health in both groups two months after the discharge, compared to those obtained at the time of discharge (P<0.05). However, the extent of differences in scores was different in the two groups. The changes in the physical and mental health scores during the discharge and two months later in the experimental group were estimated at 17.33±9.78 and 27.69±12.47, respectively. However, the changes in the physical and mental health scores during the discharge and two months later in the control group were obtained at 5.29±9.45 and 5.49±14.72. Comparison of mean scores of changes in both groups revealed that there was a significant increase in the mean scores of physical and mental health in the experimental group, compared to the controls (P<0.001).

Based on the results, the adoption of self-care training using the educational booklet promoted the physical and mental health of the patients who had undergone hip joint replacement surgery. Therefore, it is suggested that this training method should be used more frequently in the educational programs of patients who undergo hip replacement surgery. Moreover, future researches should examine the effectiveness of novel educational methods, such as education using social networks