Effect of Home‐based Telerehabilitation on the Postoperative Rehabilitation Outcome of Hip Fracture in the Aging Population

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of home‐based telerehabilitation based on the Internet‐based rehabilitation management system on hip function, activities of daily living and somatic integrative ability of elderly postoperative hip fracture patients. METHODS: From June 2020 to November 2020, we recruited 58 elderly postoperative hip fracture patients and randomly assigned them to the telephone group (n = 29) and the telerehabilitation group (n = 29). Both groups received routine discharge instructions, and the former received telephone follow‐up after discharge, while the latter received remote rehabilitation based on the Internet‐based rehabilitation management system. The Harris hip score (HHS), functional independence measure (FIM), timed up‐and‐go test (TUG), and short physical performance battery (SPPB) were used to evaluate the patients' hip function, activities of daily living, and overall somatic ability. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the baseline data of the two groups before the intervention (P > 0.05); no matter after hip replacement or internal fixation, the HHS score and FIM score of both groups increased gradually with the postoperative time, and the scores in the telerehabilitation group were higher than those in the telephone group at 1 and 3 months after the intervention, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05); for patients after hip replacement, the TUG and SPPB scores in the telerehabilitation group were better than those in the telephone group at 3 months after the intervention, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Internet‐based rehabilitation management system applied to postoperative home rehabilitation of elderly hip fracture patients can improve the functional recovery of the hip joint and enhance the ability to perform activities of daily living and somatic integration to a certain extent. This seems to provide an effective option for conducting home rehabilitation.