Effectiveness of client-centered intervention delivered with face-to-face and telerehabilitation method after total knee arthroplasty—A pilot randomized control trial

Introduction Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) negatively affects the quality of life, perceived occupational performance, and satisfaction. Face-to-face rehabilitation services have been adversely affected by problems such as time, cost, accessibility, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The telerehabilitation (TR) method is recommended for these problems. This pilot study was planned to examine the comparison of client-centered (CC) intervention with TR and face-to-face (FF) method on quality of life, perceived occupational performance, and satisfaction after TKA. Methods Forty-eight older adults that after TKA (13 men and 35 women) were randomized to the TR group ( n = 24; 68.25 ± 3.32 years) or FF group ( n = 24; 68.91 ± 2.56 years). The Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) was used to assess the quality of life, and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was used to assess perceived occupational performance and satisfaction. Results There was no difference in all parameters between the groups before and after the intervention program (p > .05). The intervention consisting of 4 days a week for 4 weeks and 45 min sessions applied with both methods had a strong effect size (p < .001 for all). Conclusion As a result, CC intervention applied with both methods in the first postoperative week increased quality of life, perceived occupational performance, and satisfaction. Trail Registration: NCT04969432