A Pilot Feasibility Study Comparing Smartphone Home-based Rehabilitation Program Against the Usual Hospital and Outpatient Physiotherapy Care on Clinical and Cost Effectiveness for Total Knee Replacement Patients

Plain-language summary

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common, chronic, and costly condition whilst total knee replacement (TKR) is a common orthopaedic surgical intervention. In Singapore, after TKR surgery, nearly all patients who are home discharged are referred to hospital-based outpatient rehabilitation. Although outpatient rehabilitation attendance is associated with better functional outcomes, access to rehabilitation care is limited as outpatient rehabilitation is costly and inconvenient for patients and their caregivers, resulting in suboptimal adherence. A smartphone home-based rehabilitation program provides the best access to rehabilitation care and is a potential alternative for the majority of patients who do not require intensive "hands-on" rehabilitation therapy. The primary aim of this randomized controlled trial is to compare patient functional outcomes and cost-effectiveness of this innovative smartphone home-based exercise program versus that of currently standard, hospital-based outpatient rehabilitation program among post TKR patients in the Department of Physiotherapy, Singapore General Hospital.

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