Process of Posthospital Care Involving Telemedicine Solutions for Patients after Total Hip Arthroplasty

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 27;18(19):10135. doi: 10.3390/ijerph181910135.

Abstract

The importance of telemedicine technologies around the world has been growing for many years, and it turned out to be a particularly important issue for conducting some medical procedures during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It is necessary to create interdisciplinary teams to design and implement improved procedures using telemedicine tools. The aim of the article is to develop original, improved posthospital patient care process after total hip arthroplasty (THA) with the use of telemedicine technologies. In the study, a literature review and empirical research were used. The conducted research resulted in the designing an original posthospital patient care process after THA that uses telematics technologies. Due to the use of analyzed telemedicine technologies, the designed patient care process brings a possibility to increase the patient's safety by monitoring life parameters, allowing for regular, remote contact with specialists and to be supervised remotely. All this may contribute to shortening the convalescence time, reducing the risk of complications, as well as reducing treatment costs. The designed model is ready for further clinical research with the participation of medical staff, patients after THA and patient caregivers.

Keywords: patient’s safety; posthospital care; posthospital process; process improvement in medicine; telehealth; telemedicine solutions; total hip arthroplasty.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip*
  • COVID-19*
  • Humans
  • Pandemics
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Telemedicine*