A randomized clinical trial of a new perioperative practice model on anxiety and health‐related quality of life in arthroplasty patients

AIMS: To explore the effectiveness of a new perioperative practice model on anxiety and health‐related quality of life in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty under spinal anaesthesia. DESIGN: A randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Control group participants (N = 222) received standard perioperative care, meaning they were cared for by various nurses during their perioperative process without postoperative visits. Intervention group participants (N = 231) were assigned one named anaesthesia nurse during their entire perioperative process who visited them postoperatively. Both groups responded to two self‐reported questionnaires: the generic 15D health‐related quality of life instrument and the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) measuring anxiety two to three weeks pre‐operatively and three months postoperatively. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the groups at baseline or at follow‐up in health‐related quality of life or anxiety.