title: Implementing a benchmarking and feedback concept decreases postoperative pain after total knee arthroplasty: A prospective study including 256 patients.
abstract: Perioperative pain reduction, particularly during the first two days, is highly important for patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Problems are not only caused by medical issues but by organization and hospital structure. The present study shows how the quality of pain management can be increased by implementing a standardized pain concept and simple, consistent benchmarking. All patients included into the study had undergone total knee arthroplasty. Outcome parameters were analyzed by means of a questionnaire on the first postoperative day. A multidisciplinary team implemented a regular procedure of data analyzes and external benchmarking by participating in a nationwide quality improvement project. At the beginning of the study, our hospital ranked 16thin terms of activity-related pain and 9thin patient satisfaction among 47 anonymized hospitals participating in the benchmarking project. At the end of the study, we had improved to 1stactivity-related pain and to 2ndin patient satisfaction. Although benchmarking started and finished with the same standardized pain management concept, results were initially pure. Beside pharmacological treatment, interdisciplinary teamwork and benchmarking with direct feedback mechanisms are also very important for decreasing postoperative pain and for increasing patient satisfaction after TKA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Regensburg, Asklepios Klinikum Bad Abbach, Kaiser-Karl-V-Allee 3, 93077 Bad Abbach, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benditz
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Anesthesia, Asklepios Klinikum Bad Abbach, Kaiser-Karl-V-Allee 3, 93077 Bad Abbach, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drescher
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Regensburg, Asklepios Klinikum Bad Abbach, Kaiser-Karl-V-Allee 3, 93077 Bad Abbach, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Greimel
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Studies, University Medical Center Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeman
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Regensburg, Asklepios Klinikum Bad Abbach, Kaiser-Karl-V-Allee 3, 93077 Bad Abbach, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grifka
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meißner
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Regensburg, Asklepios Klinikum Bad Abbach, Kaiser-Karl-V-Allee 3, 93077 Bad Abbach, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Völlner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires