The Use of Telehealth to Improve Office Efficiency and Health Care Access Among Patients Being Evaluated for Revision Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND

Patients being evaluated for revision total joint arthroplasty (RTJA) are often referred to tertiary care centers, which may decrease their access to adequate health care and overburden these health care systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of RTJA patient evaluation via telehealth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We identified a consecutive series of patients newly evaluated for a symptomatic TJA by two academic surgeons during a 1-year period. Clinical records, radiographs, and laboratory values were reviewed to determine whether the patient was indicated for RTJA. Efficiency was determined by calculating the percentage of patients who could have been adequately evaluated with telehealth. We then used the modalities required for diagnosis in each RTJA case to determine the feasibility of evaluating such patients through telehealth.

RESULTS

Of the 381 patients evaluated for RTJA candidacy, 154 (40.4%) were indicated for revision surgery. All 152 patients evaluated for possible hip revision could have been evaluated and diagnosed via telehealth, demonstrating a telehealth efficiency of 100%. Of 229 patients evaluated for possible knee revision, 183 were able to be evaluated and diagnosed via telehealth. The 46 remaining patients were indicated for revision secondary to instability, which would require an in-office examination for diagnosis. The efficiency of telehealth for potential knee revision patients was 79.9%.

CONCLUSION

Telehealth may be useful in evaluating patients with symptomatic TJA. It may increase the efficiency of in-office evaluations and reduce potential barriers to health care access. [