title: Socioeconomic impact of e-Health services in major joint replacement: A scoping review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  e-Health is a widespread healthcare practice in the medical community, supported by technology-based applications aiming to deliver health services in an efficient manner, improving the quality of life and providing a wide range of health and socio-economic benefits to patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the use of e-Health and mobile applications for the follow-up of major joint arthroplasty patients and the socio-economic impact of e-Health services on arthroplasty patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies published after 2000 in English language, enrolling patients who underwent total knee or hip replacement, applying e-Health solutions and highlighting the economic benefits obtained by patients, doctors and healthcare systems were considered for inclusion in the present study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five studies satisfied our inclusion criteria and were included in qualitative analysis. In this paper, the use of e-Health for the follow-up of major joint arthroplasty patients and the positive impact in terms of cost, time and hospital visits reduction by applying e-Health solutions on arthroplasty patients are reviewed in detail as reported in the included studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the included studies reported a positive impact in terms of cost, time and hospital visits reduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koutras
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Department, OpenIT, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bitsaki
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Department, OpenIT, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koutras
authors.affiliation: Computer Science Department, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hansjoerg
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heep
mesh_terms: D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics*
keywords: Arthroplasty; cost effectiveness; e-Health; healthcare; telemedicine