Understanding Total Hip Replacement Recovery towards the Design of a Context-Aware Systems

Total Hip Replacement (THR) is a common procedure to improve the mobility of elderly with osteoarthritis. Presently information about the recovery process after discharge is unclear. As consequence patients and physiotherapists face uncertainties to follow an adequate trajectory for recovery. Current methods for measuring recovery outcomes do not assess individual experiences over time. This research aims to design, implement and evaluate a context-aware system supporting patients undergoing recovery at home. In order to define the functional requirements of the system, a research tool was developed to gain an understanding of patients’ experiences during the recovery process. The findings gathered thus far suggest that the next step involves the design of a richer communicational tool between the THR patient and the physiotherapist.