Joint Replacement Recovery

Joint Replacement surgeries especially in an outpatient environment was not as common as it is today. Technological advancements have played a significant role in transforming joint replacement care in the recent times. What’s more, Joint replacement surgeries are prognosticated to grow at an incredible pace of 265% in just five years from now.

Patients as consumers are used to hyper-personalized and high-touch digital experiences in retail, banking and other industries, and they expect the same convenience and personalization from healthcare as well. And, with advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence, IoT-powered solutions, wearables and high-value analytics gathered through valuable sources like Patient Reported Outcomes ( PRO), Patient Generated Health Data ( PGHD), Social Determinants of Health
( SDOH) and others, it’s time that the healthcare system leverages next-gen technologies and patient engagement strategies to transform and simplify healthcare experiences for patients undergoing joint replacement surgeries.

This blog outlines nine key reasons why your orthopedic outpatient setting needs a robust care coordination strategy.

• 1. Joint replacement surgeries done in an outpatient setting eliminates multiple touchpoints of interaction between the patient and the care provider. Most often, the patient is under a sedation and not in a position to note down the post-surgical care guidelines. A strong patient engagement program creates a comprehensive workflow for the entire episode of care starting from 30 days prior to the surgery to 90 days post-surgical care instructions and real-time patient monitoring.
• 2. Care coordinators and admin staff available for patient care are usually limited in an outpatient setting. By integrating a seamless patient engagement platform for musculoskeletal care, hospitals can prevent Physician burnout and save a huge amount of staff time and efforts, which could be utilized for patient care.
• 3. A holistic orthopedic care coordination solution reduces post-surgical inquiry calls made to the doctor’s office. Most of the care guidelines are provided in interactive video, audio, infographics, survey and gaming formats that are uniquely designed to engage the patients in a frictionless way. Real-time remote patient monitoring and tracking tools ensure medication adherence and drive actionable insights for timely intervention—thereby facilitating better health outcomes and reduced readmissions.
• 4. Joint replacements done in an outpatient setting is a new concept and therefore patients may be commuting from long distances. Patient education materials offered through digital care coordination platforms provide convenience of accessing care from the comfort of their homes without having to travel too far or take time out of their busy schedules for follow-up care.
• 5. Patients are most often recommended some exercise regimens, diet routines and other lifestyle changes both pre and post their joint replacement surgeries. It is essential that patients adhere to these prescriptions by their surgeons and Physicians. A well-orchestrated patient management platform integrates PRO, PGHD, IoT-enabled solutions, wearables and other tracking tools to get real-time insights on patients’ treatment adherence and their health progress—paving way for Physicians to get a 360-degree view of their patients’ health information to make a well-informed decision on their care plans.
• 6. Since the whole concept of joint replacement surgery in an outpatient setting is relatively new, it is only supported by Private payors who again have stringent formalities for reimbursements, which may include patient satisfaction scores and health outcomes. An intuitive patient engagement platform encompasses a comprehensive solution that tracks the progress of the care management program post surgeries.
• 7. Digital care coordination solutions are uniquely designed to achieve the #TripleAim of improving clinical, operational and financial efficiency of a healthcare organization. Online patient engagement platforms for orthopedic care can bring multiple benefits—increase reimbursements, reduce readmissions, accelerate Patient Satisfaction Index (PSI), drive patient engagement and health outcomes.

To learn more about SolvEdge’s patient engagement platform for joint replacements and musculoskeletal care,
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