Redefinition of life experience following total hip replacement: a qualitative study

Purpose: We drew on a qualitative research design to examine patients’ experiences of coping following total hip replacement (THR) by obtaining their perspectives through participants’ personal language. Method: Post-operative patients who were able to explore their experiences and express them verbally were purposively sampled from an out-patient orthopaedic department of a UK hospital. Narrative interviews were conducted with the participants at two points in time. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Coffey and Atkinson’s model (1996). Results: They employed different psychological coping mechanisms to adjust themselves to the new stressful situations that led to reinterpretation of the meaning of life. They used problem-focused, emotion-focused, comparative, spiritual and self-oriented coping strategies and shifted their focus from disease-related problems to other aspects of their lives. Conclusion: The participants in this study used a range of coping strategies to accommodate to the challenges of their hip condition and the consequences of the THR. They placed greater emphasis on positive gains from their experiences and alleviated the harmful effects of pain and physical limitations by reinterpreting the meaning of life. It is suggested that the findings of the study could have clinical implications when applying patient-reported outcome measures over time.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Qualitative studies of this type show how people change their values over the course of an illness and reinterpret the meaning of life.

• An understanding of the complexity of experiences following THR surgery is important when evaluating the outcomes of treatment using patient-reported outcome measures.

• Recognizing the importance of psychological strategies to coping is important in rehabilitation and may account for differences in outcome.