title: Preoperative Patient Education for Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: Financial Benefit?
abstract: Of 904 patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) at the same hospital, 802 participated in a preoperative education day called "Joint Academy" (JA). The length of stay of JA participants was 2.12 days (49.5%) less than patients who did not attend a JA (p < .01). JA attendees were 62% more likely to be discharged to home (p < .01) and had an average internal hospital cost $1,493 (18.9%) lower than the non-JA group (p < .01). Total costs incurred by JA attendees averaged $4,016 (27.2%) less than total costs for those patients who did not participate in a JA (p < .01). Patient participation in a preoperative education program may significantly reduce overall costs for primary TKA and THA procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas. matait@uams.edu.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tait
authors.forename: Carter
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dredge
authors.forename: C Lowry
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000191:economics*; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000191:economics*; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000379:methods*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult