The purpose of this study was to explore adult orthopedic surgical patient experiences during their preoperative, perioperative and postoperative care; utilizing the results to discuss specific interactions in care that produced positive or negative outcomes. Partnering with patients to understand shared decision making and patient centered care has been previously researched in literature, and continued research is key to discover effective care practices. The Centers for Disease Control and National Center for Health Statistics (2015) reports total knee and hip joint replacement surgeries of more than one million yearly. The large patient population magnifies the need to understand patient experiences during their orthopedic surgical care and is essential to guide improvements that encourage the patient-healthcare provider partnership. This researcher utilized a phenomenological qualitative design to collect data in a semi structured, topic guided, audio recorded interview until saturation was achieved. Qualitative content analysis was utilized to identify unit meanings
, codes, and themes using the experiences of the 10 study participants. All of the participants had either total knee arthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty at Premier Surgical Institute in Galena Kansas between September 2014 and December 2014, were English speaking and understanding, cognitively intact, and able to meet for the audio recorded interview. A letter of invitation was mailed to 150 potential study participants whom met the criteria, with 10 patients consenting to participate. Four main themes developed that influenced the patient experience and affected outcomes: healthcare provider attentiveness, patient education, patient need for control, and consideration of the patient’s whole life experiences
