Simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty

Aims Simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been used due to its financial advantages, overall resource usage, and convenience for the patient. The training model where a trainee performs the first TKA, followed by the trainer surgeon performing the second TKA, is a unique model to our institution. This study aims to analyze the functional and clinical outcomes of bilateral simultaneous TKA when performed by a trainee or a supervising surgeon, and also to assess these outcomes based on which side was done by the trainee or by the surgeon. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of all simultaneous bilateral TKAs performed by a single surgeon in an academic institution between May 2003 and November 2017. Exclusion criteria were the use of partial knee arthroplasty procedures, staged bilateral procedures, and procedures not performed by the senior author on one side and the trainee on another. Primary clinical outcomes of interest included revision and re-revision. Primary functional outcomes included the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and patient satisfaction scores. Results In total, 315 patients (630 knees) were included for analysis. Of these, functional scores were available for 189 patients (378 knees). There was a 1.9% (n = 12) all-cause revision rate for all knees. Overall, 12 knees in ten patients were revised, and both right and left knees were revised in two patients. The OKS and patient satisfaction scores were comparable for trainees and supervising surgeons. A majority of patients (88%, n = 166) were either highly likely (67%, n = 127) or likely (21%, n = 39) to recommend bilateral TKAs to a friend. Conclusion Simultaneous bilateral TKA can be used as an effective teaching model for trainees without any significant impact on patient clinical or functional outcomes. Excellent functional and clinical outcomes in both knees, regardless of whether the performing surgeon is a trainee or supervising surgeon, can be achieved with simultaneous bilateral TKA. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(1):29–34.

Micro needling vs micro needling combined with autologous topical platelet rich plasma in the treatment of melasma: a prospective randomized comparative study

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Melasma is one of the most common pigmentary disorders worldwide with a still unresolved pathogenesis and treatment continues to be challenging. To assess the effect of micro-needling vs combination of micro-needling followed by application of topical platelet rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of melasma.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sixty patients having melasma were randomly grouped into A and B. Group A underwent micro-needling alone and group B was subjected to micro-needling followed by topical application of autologous PRP. The patients were subjected to 3 treatment sessions at monthly intervals. Melasma area and severity index (MASI) and patient satisfaction scores were recorded at each sitting and the final outcome was recorded one month after the last session.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-four patients in group A and 27 patients from group B were selected for final analysis. There was significant improvement of MASI in both groups (Group A: p=0.001, group B: p=0.0001) however, the difference in improvement of MASI between the 2 groups was not significant (p=0.0457) Group B was highly satisfied with the treatment which was statistically significant (p=0.0001)</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Combining micro-needling with topical PRP appears to be a promising therapeutic modality in the treatment of melasma.</p><p><strong> </strong></p>

A review of audiovisual telemedicine utilization and satisfaction assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction The use of telemedicine has broadened as technology that both restores continuity of care during disruptions in healthcare delivery and routinely provides primary care alone or in combination with in-person care. During the Covid-19 outbreak, the use of telemedicine as a routine care modality further accelerated. Methods A review of scientific studies that used telemedicine to provide care from December 2019 to December 2020 is presented. From an initial set of 2,191 articles, 36 studies are analyzed. Evidence is organized and evaluated according to the country of study, the clinical specialty, the technology platform used, and satisfaction and utilization outcomes. Results Thirty-one studies reported high patient satisfaction scores. Eight studies reported satisfaction from both providers and patients with no uniformly accepted assessment instrument. Eight studies conducted a descriptive analysis of telemedicine use and patient adoption patterns. Less than one-third of studies were controlled before/after studies. Most studies were conducted in the USA followed by Europe. Conclusions Reported satisfaction rates are high, consistent with previously documented research, whereas utilization rates increased significantly compared with the prepandemic period. Future work in developing standardized uniform assessment instruments, embedded with each telemedicine system, would increase versatility and agility in the assessment, boosting statistical power and the interpretation of results.

Nursing Communication Bundle: Behavior Standards Review Article Series: 1

Changing healthcare delivery systems demand greater accountability from hospital organizations and healthcare providers (Briggs et al., 2018). The radical restructuring of the healthcare system that is required to reduce spiraling healthcare costs and make healthcare accessible to all citizens will necessitate ongoing changes in healthcare organizations. The challenge for hospital organizations is to improve quality and service delivery through an ongoing process of innovation, restructuring of systems and processes, and implementation of aligned service behaviors to increase patient satisfaction and enhance clinical outcomes (Figure 1.0). Patient satisfaction scores serve as system indicators for financial reimbursement from government and private insurance agencies and as impetus for hospital organizations to choose the functional system of delivering care to improve quality, achieve desired outcomes, and enhance the patient care experience. Given the macroeconomic nature of the impact of patient satisfaction scores on hospital reimbursement, the challenge for healthcare organizations is to improve quality and service delivery through an ongoing process of innovation, restructuring systems and processes, and implementation of aligned standardized service behaviors to increase patient satisfaction and enhance clinical outcomes. Hospitals under the current healthcare landscape are rewarded for the quality of care provided; thus, better outcomes indicate hospitals’ financial viability (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2018).Managing service delivery across a highly divergent and fast-paced healthcare system requires sharp focus on execution and standardized operational excellence. Continuous quality improvement (CQI) has been shown to be a powerful tool to help make health care organizations more effective. CQI is a structured system for creating organization-wide participation and partnership in planning and implementing continuous improvement methods to understand, meet, or exceed patient needs and expectations. Developing a culture of excellence and quality in care can create an enthusiasm for change, passion for results, and drive for innovation equating to better service to healthcare consumers and better patient satisfaction scores.

Telemedicine in Hematology: Tool to Improve Access and Patient Satisfaction

Introduction: Telemedicine can transform the future of medicine, especially in rural settings by improving access to medical care. Here were present the patient satisfaction data from both telemedicine and regular visits in our Hematology & Oncology clinics. In Hematology, we have used tele medicine for sickle cell disease, benign hematology cases like iron deficiency, thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis etc., and in malignant hematology for new patient consults, toxicity checks, follow up of plasma cell disorders, chronic leukemias and low intensity chemotherapies. Methods: We retrospectively collected patient satisfaction survey data from March 2020 to April 2021 for both telemedicine and regular visits. The patients were allowed to give a score from 1 to 99 regarding their experience at visit. We collected data on the following: likelihood of recommending, care provider, access and overall assessment. Results: A total of 53 patient satisfaction survey were available for telemedicine and 462 for regular visits. Over 60 % of tele visits were non cancer related and 40% were cancer related. The average score for likelihood of recommending, care provider, access, and overall assessment for tele visit were 73.5, 41.5, 73.5 and 62 respectively. The average score for likelihood of recommending, care provider, access, and overall assessment for regular visit were 13.75, 7.5, 26.5, and 11 respectively. Conclusion: The patient satisfaction scores for likelihood of recommending, care provider, access and overall assessment were significantly better for tele visits compared to regular visits. Disclosures Master: Blue Bird Bio: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company.

INNV-31. NEURO-ONCOLOGY OUTPATIENT SATISFACTION IS MAINTAINED IN THE ERA OF COVID-19 TELEMEDICINE

INTRODUCTION The use of telemedicine increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the impact on patient satisfaction in the Neuro-oncology population is unknown. This quality improvement project compares outpatient satisfaction before and during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as in-person versus telemedicine platforms during the pandemic. METHODS We performed an IRB-exempt retrospective analysis of aggregate de-identified outpatient satisfaction scores among Neuro-oncology patients seen at The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center (PRTBTC) at Duke University. The Clinician & Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG-CAHPS) is a survey developed and distributed by Press Ganey Associates, and is the most widely used outpatient satisfaction survey in the United States. We compared pre-COVID-19 CG-CAHPS scores from patients who received in-person care at the PRBTC between April 2019 and March 2020 to COVID-19 pandemic CG-CAHPS scores (i.e. those who received either telemedicine or in-person care at the PRTBTC) from April 2020 to March 2021. RESULTS Approximately 1448 surveys were completed for both in-person and telemedicine visits. During the pandemic, 48.6% of surveys represented telemedicine, with monthly variations from 84.6% (April 2020) to 21.4% (March 2021). Patient satisfaction scores pre-COVID-19 were similar to those during the pandemic: overall provider rating from 0-10 (9.28 v 9.36), knowledge of medical history (96.9% v 95.4%), listens carefully (96.6% v 96.9%), shows respect (97.2% v 98.1%), and time spent (93.2% v 95.5%). During the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person and telemedicine demonstrate similar levels of satisfaction: overall provider rating from 0-10 (9.29 v 9.48), knowledge of medical history (94.9% v 96.1%), listens carefully (95.4% v 99.0%), shows respect (97.5% v 99.0%), and time spent (94.7% v 96.7%). CONCLUSION Outpatient satisfaction prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar. Patients reported similar satisfaction between in-person and telemedicine platforms. We support the ongoing use of telemedicine for outpatient Neuro-oncology.

Associations between general practice characteristics and chest x-ray rate: an observational study

Background: Chest x-ray (CXR) is the first-line test for lung cancer in many settings. Previous research has suggested that higher utilisation of CXR is associated with improved outcomes. Aim: To explore the associations between characteristics of general practices and frequency of investigation with CXR. Design & Setting: Retrospective observational study of English general practices. Method: We constructed a database of English general practices containing number of CXRs requested and data on practices for 2018, including patient & staff demographics, smoking prevalence, deprivation and patient satisfaction indicators. Mixed effects Poisson modelling was used to account for variation due to chance and to estimate the amount of remaining variation that could be attributed to practice and population characteristics. Results: There was substantial variation in GP CXR rates (median 34 per 1000 patients, IQR 26-43). Only 18% of between-practice variance in CXR rate was accounted for by recorded characteristics. Higher practice scores for continuity and communication skills and higher proportions of smokers, Asian and mixed ethnic groups, and patients aged >65 were associated with increased CXR rates. Higher patient satisfaction scores for access and with greater proportions of male and patients of black ethnicity were associated with lower CXR rates. Conclusion: Substantial variation was found in CXR rates beyond that expected by chance, which could not be accounted for by practices’ recorded characteristics. Since other research has indicated that increasing CXR rates can lead to earlier detection, supporting practices which currently investigate infrequently could be an effective strategy to improve lung cancer outcomes.