Functional Independence Training Program: An Example of a Sub-Acute Care Model for Patients following Primary Joint Replacement

Abstract

The Orthopaedic and Arthritic Hospital is a specialty institution dedicated to the provision of elective reconstructive orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation to individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. This facility is the largest volume joint replacement centre in Canada, performing over 1,000 hip and knee replacement/revision procedures annually. In 1995, the hospital established a Functional Independence Training (FIT) program — a seven-day reactivation program for patients following primary joint replacement. The program aims to promote early independence, improve functional level and return patients to normal activity as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. The program has received positive patient feedback and has demonstrated the potential to save the health care system approximately $479,655 annually through the reduction of 1,453 acute and rehabilitation hospital inpatient days, based on the hospital's annual primary joint replacement caseload.