Effects of a telephone education program on self-care behavior for rehabilitative fractured femur patients

Abstract

Knowledge about rehabilitation and complication prevention is essential to promote self-care abilities among patients who have undergone open reduction and internal fixation when they are discharged from hospital. A telephone educational program was developed to meet this need. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of the telephone education program on the self-care behaviors of rehabilitative fracture femur patients who had undergone open reduction and internal fixation. Data were collected between April, 2004, and October, 2004. After being discharged, 32 patients who had undergone open reduction and internal fixation were exposed to a telephone education program at week 1 and week 3 after being discharged. After the intervention program, they were asked to rate their self-care behaviors. The study found that self-care behaviors at 1 week and 3 weeks after discharge were at a good level, 1.60 and 1.85, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference with respect to the level of self-care behaviors at the first week and the third week (p < .05). The telephone education program was effective in increasing self care behaviors of rehabilitative fracture femur patients who had undergone open reduction and internal fixation.

Keywords

• telephone education program
• self care behavior
• fracture femur rehabilitation