BACKGROUND: Improving communication and information services for people receiving a total joint (knee or hip) arthroplasty (TJA) depends on the differences in patient communication needs and personal characteristics. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to further examine individual differences in TJA patient preferences regarding communication and information provision. METHODS: Nineteen patients participated in generative research, which meant they actively reflected on their TJA experiences and communication preferences through creative exercises (e.g., collage making). Audio transcripts of their shared reflections were qualitatively analyzed through an inductive approach. RESULTS: Some participants wanted detailed health education, others did not. Participants also reported different support needs (e.g., at hospital discharge or during rehabilitation). Moreover, participant preferences for social connections with care providers differed. CONCLUSIONS: An individual patient's mindset, his or her social support needs, physical condition, and medical history should guide the provision of tailored services.

After a Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), post-discharge contact moments with care providers may be scarce. Online resources may offer support, but Human Factors Engineering methods are needed to tailor these resources to patients’ varying post-surgery information needs. In order to evaluate tailored components in a web application and to refine guidelines for tailored Information Technology (IT) in healthcare, the authors developed a tailored web application for THA patients. The web application informs THA patients about recommended activity levels in the first months after surgery using individualized thresholds based on daily step counts. The feedback given by the application is designed in three variants that match characteristics from three different THA patient subgroups (profiles) defined in previous research. To investigate the use and evaluation of this application, a small-scale qualitative study (20 patients, 3 care providers) will be conducted. Results will include qualitative feedback from patients and care providers, as well as metrics describing participants’ use of the application. This paper discusses the study methodology, including the application used.

Background: Patients with orthopedic conditions frequently use the internet to find health information. Patient education that is distributed online may form an easily accessible, time- and cost-effective alternative to education delivered through traditional channels such as one-on-one consultations or booklets. However, no systematic evidence for the comparative effectiveness of Web-based educational interventions exists. Objective: The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effects of Web-based patient education interventions for adult orthopedic patients and to compare its effectiveness with generic health information websites and traditional forms of patient education. Methods: CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PUBMED, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched covering the period from 1995 to 2016. Peer-reviewed English and Dutch studies were included if they delivered patient education via the internet to the adult orthopedic population and assessed its effects in a controlled or observational trial. Results: A total of 10 trials reported in 14 studies involving 4172 patients were identified. Nine trials provided evidence for increased patients' knowledge after Web-based patient education. Seven trials reported increased satisfaction and good evaluations of Web-based patient education. No compelling evidence exists for an effect of Web-based patient education on anxiety, health attitudes and behavior, or clinical outcomes. Conclusions: Web-based patient education may be offered as a time- and cost-effective alternative to current educational interventions when the objective is to improve patients' knowledge and satisfaction. However, these findings may not be representative for the whole orthopedic patient population as most trials included considerably younger, higher-educated, and internet-savvy participants only.

To achieve optimal patient-centered care for people undergoing a Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), communication should ideally be tailored. In previous studies, three clusters of patients or patient ‘roles’ were identified based on communication preferences and clinical and psychological characteristics as a starting point for tailored communication in orthopedics. The current study aims to formulate initial guidelines for the design of tailored communication and information provision based on these roles. Two design cases were each evaluated as storyboards with twelve patients (three, seven, and two patients of each role, respectively). Generic and functionality-specific preferences were indicated by participants for both design proposals. Similarities in feedback per role provided the basis for generating an initial set of role-specific guidelines, that can be used to design tailored information and communication solutions.