Riverside new digital approach to orthopedic patient education provides personalized experience, improves care-team efficiency

Riverside Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists has launched a digital patient-education experience specifically designed to guide patients through total joint replacement surgery. Providing an increased level of personalization, convenience and safety for patients, the new approach will also improve the care team’s ability to meet patient needs efficiently.

“Joint University,” as the educational program is called, is now provided through a series of automated text messages timed to correspond with the patient’s surgery timeline, from initial consultation to post-recovery. With each text, patients receive secure web links to their own online surgery guide, where they’ll find videos, tips, checklists, instructions and other helpful information pertaining to joint replacement.

Three interactive sections comprise the digital guide. After a welcome and overview, it covers the ins and outs of preparing for joint replacement surgery. As their day of surgery approaches, patients learn what to expect at the hospital as well as during recovery at home. 

Patients can refer back to any section at any time from the safety and convenience of their homes, and discuss any questions or concerns with their nurse navigator throughout the process.

“We know that when patients are well informed, engaged in their health care and in close communication with their care team, they enjoy more effective treatment results,” says Orthopedic Surgeon Rory Sandberg, M.D., who is also the department’s total joint replacement specialist for knees and hips. “For those reasons, we’re encouraging our joint replacement patients to take advantage of this supportive resource as much as possible.” 

 The benefits for care coordinators and key clinical team members are also significant. Proactive and reactive messaging delivered in an automated, timely manner is an efficient means for communicating important educational information to patients. Furthermore, the new system proactively prioritizes patients’ concerns so that resources can be allocated accordingly. Patients are prepared for surgery through continuous coaching and education, lowering the risk of complications and contributing to more successful recoveries.

“Providing effective patient education is so important when it comes to a major orthopedic procedure like total joint replacement,” says Doug Culbert, Riverside’s associate vice president of orthopedics. “We’re confident that offering this valuable tool will not only improve clinical outcomes, but also our patients’ experience and level of satisfaction with the care they receive. Our goal is to support patients at each step of their unique joint replacement journey.”

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