Early follow-up after primary total knee and total hip arthroplasty with rapid recovery: Focus groups

Rapid recovery protocols reduce the length of hospital stay after Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). However, little is known about the early postoperative phase. The purpose of this study was to examine which problems patients encountered during the first six weeks after primary TKA or THA surgery with rapid recovery.We invited twenty patients for a focus group meeting which discussed various subjects regarding the first six weeks after hospital discharge. The focus group meetings were analysed qualitatively. Patients were mostly satisfied by the short length of hospital stay. Patients who lived alone needs more care and would like to stay longer in the hospital. After THA surgery all patients complained of inability to sleep. More patients experienced pain after TKA surgery compared to THA surgery. All patients had various experiences regarding physical therapy therefore an evidence based rehabilitation protocol might be needed

Designing a Care Pathway Model – A Case Study of the Outpatient Total Hip Arthroplasty Care Pathway

Introduction: Although the clinical attributes of total hip arthroplasty (THA) care pathways have been thoroughly researched, a detailed understanding of the equally important organisational attributes is still lacking. The aim of this article is to contribute with a model of the outpatient THA care pathway that depicts how the care team should be organised to enable patient discharge on the day of surgery. Theory: The outpatient THA care pathway enables patients to be discharged on the day of surgery, short- ening the length of stay and intensifying the provision and organisation of care. We utilise visual care modelling to construct a visual design of the organisation of the care pathway. Methods: An embedded case study was conducted of the outpatient THA care pathway at a teaching hospital in the Netherlands. The data were collected using a visual care modelling toolkit in 16 semi- structured interviews. Problems and inefficiencies in the care pathway were identified and addressed in the iterative design process. Results: The results are two visual models of the most critical phases of the outpatient THA care pathway: diagnosis & preparation (1) and mobilisation & discharge (4). The results show the care team composition, critical value exchanges, and sequence that enable patient discharge on the day of surgery. Conclusion: The design addressed existing problems and is an optimisation of the case hospital’s pathway. The network of actors consists of the patient (1), radiologist (1), anaesthetist (1), nurse specialist (1), pharmacist (1), orthopaedic surgeon (1,4), physiotherapist (1,4), nurse (4), doctor (4) and patient applica- tion (1,4). The critical value exchanges include patient preparation (mental and practical), patient education, aligned care team, efficient sequence of value exchanges, early patient mobilisation, flexible availability of the physiotherapist, functional discharge criteria, joint decision making and availability of the care team

Communication Preferences in Total Joint Arthroplasty: Exploring the Patient Experience Through Generative Research

BACKGROUND: Improving communication and information services for people receiving a total joint (knee or hip) arthroplasty (TJA) depends on the differences in patient communication needs and personal characteristics. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to further examine individual differences in TJA patient preferences regarding communication and information provision. METHODS: Nineteen patients participated in generative research, which meant they actively reflected on their TJA experiences and communication preferences through creative exercises (e.g., collage making). Audio transcripts of their shared reflections were qualitatively analyzed through an inductive approach. RESULTS: Some participants wanted detailed health education, others did not. Participants also reported different support needs (e.g., at hospital discharge or during rehabilitation). Moreover, participant preferences for social connections with care providers differed. CONCLUSIONS: An individual patient's mindset, his or her social support needs, physical condition, and medical history should guide the provision of tailored services.Applied Ergonomics and DesignHuman-Centered Desig

Early recovery trajectories after fast-track primary total hip arthroplasty: The role of patient characteristics

Background and purpose — Little is known about heterogeneity in early recovery after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). Therefore, we characterized subgroups of patients according to their hip function trajectory during the first 6 weeks after THA in a fast-track setting. Patients and methods — 94 patients (median age 65 years [41–82], 56 women) from a single hospital participated in a diary study. Patients recorded their severity of hip problems (Oxford Hip Score, OHS) weekly for 6 weeks after THA. Latent class growth modelling (LCGM) was used to identify patients with the same hip function trajectory and to compare these subgroups on patient characteristics. Results — LCGM revealed a fast (n = 17), an average (n = 53), and a slow (n = 24) recovery subgroup. Subgroups differed on the estimated weekly growth rate during the first 2 weeks (fast: 9.5; average: 5.3; slow: 2.7), with fewer differences between groups in the last 4 weeks (fast: 0.90; average: 2.0; slow: 1.7). Patients in the slow recovery group could be characterized as women of older age (mean age =69) who rated their health as lower preoperatively, needed more assistance during recovery, and were less satisfied with the outcomes of the surgery. Interpretation — We identified distinct recovery trajectories in the first 6 weeks after fast-track primary THA which were associated with patient characteristics.Applied Ergonomics and Desig

The learning curve of the direct anterior approach is 100 cases: an analysis based on 15,875 total hip arthroplasties in the Dutch Arthroplasty Register

Background and purpose — In the last decade, the direct anterior approach (DAA) for total hip arthroplasty (THA) has become more popular in the Netherlands. Therefore, we investigated the learning curve and survival rate of the DAA in primary THA, using data from the Dutch Arthroplasty Register (LROI). Patients and methods — We identified all patients who received a primary THA using the DAA in several highvolume centers in the Netherlands between 2007 and 2019 (n = 15,903). Procedures were ordered per surgeon, using date of operation. Using the procedure number, operations were divided into 6 groups based on the number of previous procedures per surgeon (first 25, 26–50, 51–100, 101–150, 151–200, > 200). Data from different surgeons in different hospitals was pooled together. Revision rates were calculated using a multilevel time-to-event analysis. Results — Patients operated on in group 1–25 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.6; 95% CI 1.1–2.4) and 26–50 (HR 1.6; CI 1.1–2.5) had a higher risk for revision compared with patients operated on in group > 200 THAs. Between 50 and 100 procedures the revision risk was increased (HR 1.3; CI 0.9–1.9), albeit not statistically significant. From 100 procedures onwards the HR for revision was respectively 1.0 (CI 0.6–1.6) and 0.8 (CI 0.5–1.4) for patients in operation groups 101–150 and 151–200. Main reasons for revision were loosening of the stem (29%), periprosthetic infection (19%), and dislocation (16%). Interpretation — We found a 64% increased risk of revision for patients undergoing THA using the DAA for the first 50 cases per surgeon. Between 50 and 100 cases, this risk was 30% increased, but not statistically significant. From 100 cases onwards, a steady state had been reached in revision rate. The learning curve for DAA therefore is around 100 cases