Patient Companion for Endoprosthetic Procedures

The pabee project investigated to what extent the RECOVER-E app can be used as a tool to improve patients’ outcomes after total hip or knee replacement. Specifically, the study examined whether app use leads to better mobility in daily and sports-related activities, reduced pain intensity, improved joint-related quality of life three months postoperatively, and lower preoperative anxiety compared to patients not using the app. The non-randomized, controlled two-arm study included patients from six participating hospitals, with a control group (CG) receiving standard care and an intervention group (IG) additionally using RECOVER-E. Data were collected at five time points, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with patients in the IG and with hospital staff.
RECOVER-E is designed to support education and motivation around surgery, aiming to promote faster recovery of mobility and pain reduction. The app integrates features such as reminders, reference materials, education modules, self-reflection and monitoring, motivation, gamification, communication tools, and generates aggregated datasets for hospitals’ quality management. Animated educational films and exercise videos provide additional support. App use varied, with the most consistent engagement observed during hospital stays. Qualitative interviews with IG participants highlighted the app’s usefulness, particularly in the post-hospital phase, with exercise videos rated as especially helpful. Hospital staff described the app’s application as smooth, emphasizing functions like “structured self-assessment” and “exercises” as particularly valuable, as patients were perceived to be better informed and more proactive.