The role of physical activity, exercise, and education based prehabilitation for people with multimorbidity awaiting joint replacement surgery
Supervisors:
Dr Andrew J Murphy, School of Medicine (University of Dundee)
Professor Lesley A Colvin, School of Medicine (University of Dundee)
Professor Jacqui Morris, School of Health Sciences (University of Dundee)
Mr Graeme Nicol, NHS Tayside, Trauma and Orthopaedics
Mr Andrew Suttie, NHS Tayside, Trauma and Orthopaedics
Summary:
Joint replacement surgery is common, its incidence and waiting times are on the rise, and there is evidence of widespread inequalities of access. Around 64% of people awaiting joint replacement surgery (PAJRS) present with multimorbidity and approximately 29% may be in a state “worse than death” as measured by the EuroQol-five-dimension questionnaire. The benefits of physical activity, exercise, and education are widely accepted for many conditions, however, there is a lack of consensus and detail regarding safe and effective interventions for the complex needs of PAJRS. Finding models of sustainable prehabilitation to optimise outcomes for PAJRS with multimorbidity is urgently required.
The primary aim of this PhD is to study physical activity, exercise, and education based prehabilitation in PAJRS with multimorbidity, we propose three work packages:
- Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) informed review of the existing knowledge base
- Co-development of a prehabilitation intervention, including PPIE and other stakeholder engagement
- Refinement and pilot testing of the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the intervention
It is thought that this PhD would be ideally suited to those trained in physiotherapy, but we would welcome applications from candidates from a range of health professional backgrounds.