scholarly journals A Social Media–Promoted Educational Community of Joint Replacement Patients Using the WeChat App: Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianzuo Zhang ◽  
Xiaoxuan Chen ◽  
Nikolaos Kourkoumelis ◽  
Ran Gao ◽  
Guoyuan Li ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Much effort has been made to optimize the results of total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. With the rapid growth of social media use, mobile apps, such as WeChat, have been considered for improving outcomes and patient satisfaction after total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a WeChat-based community as an intervention for overall patient satisfaction. METHODS The study was conducted among discharged in-hospital patients who received hip or knee procedures in the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China from April 2019 to January 2020. An educational online social community was constructed with the WeChat app. Participants willing to join the community were enrolled in a WeChat group and received 3 months of intervention and follow-up. Those who were not willing to use the account were included in a control group and received routine publicity via telephone, mail, and brochures. The Danish Health and Medicine Authority patient satisfaction questionnaire was used to score perioperative patient education and overall satisfaction. The contents in the group chat were analyzed using natural language processing tools. RESULTS A total of 3428 patients were enrolled in the study, including 2292 in the WeChat group and 1236 in the control group. Participants in the WeChat group had higher overall satisfaction scores than those in the control group (mean 8.48, SD 1.12 vs mean 6.66, SD 1.80, <i>P</i>&lt;.001). The difference between the two groups was significant for primary surgery based on subgroup stratification. To control confounding factors and explore the effects of WeChat participation as a mediating variable between perioperative patient education and overall satisfaction, hierarchical regression was utilized. An interpatient interaction model was found in the community group chat, and it contributed to overall satisfaction. Patients in the group with more interpatient interactions were more likely to have better overall satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS The social media–promoted educational community using WeChat was effective among joint replacement patients. Provision of more perioperative education is associated with more active patient participation in the community and therefore more patient satisfaction in terms of the overall joint procedure. Community group chat could facilitate interactions among patients and contribute to overall satisfaction.

10.2196/18763 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e18763
Author(s):  
Xianzuo Zhang ◽  
Xiaoxuan Chen ◽  
Nikolaos Kourkoumelis ◽  
Ran Gao ◽  
Guoyuan Li ◽  
...  

Background Much effort has been made to optimize the results of total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. With the rapid growth of social media use, mobile apps, such as WeChat, have been considered for improving outcomes and patient satisfaction after total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. Objective We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a WeChat-based community as an intervention for overall patient satisfaction. Methods The study was conducted among discharged in-hospital patients who received hip or knee procedures in the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China from April 2019 to January 2020. An educational online social community was constructed with the WeChat app. Participants willing to join the community were enrolled in a WeChat group and received 3 months of intervention and follow-up. Those who were not willing to use the account were included in a control group and received routine publicity via telephone, mail, and brochures. The Danish Health and Medicine Authority patient satisfaction questionnaire was used to score perioperative patient education and overall satisfaction. The contents in the group chat were analyzed using natural language processing tools. Results A total of 3428 patients were enrolled in the study, including 2292 in the WeChat group and 1236 in the control group. Participants in the WeChat group had higher overall satisfaction scores than those in the control group (mean 8.48, SD 1.12 vs mean 6.66, SD 1.80, P<.001). The difference between the two groups was significant for primary surgery based on subgroup stratification. To control confounding factors and explore the effects of WeChat participation as a mediating variable between perioperative patient education and overall satisfaction, hierarchical regression was utilized. An interpatient interaction model was found in the community group chat, and it contributed to overall satisfaction. Patients in the group with more interpatient interactions were more likely to have better overall satisfaction. Conclusions The social media–promoted educational community using WeChat was effective among joint replacement patients. Provision of more perioperative education is associated with more active patient participation in the community and therefore more patient satisfaction in terms of the overall joint procedure. Community group chat could facilitate interactions among patients and contribute to overall satisfaction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 04 (02) ◽  
pp. 084-089
Author(s):  
Vivek Singh ◽  
Stephen Zak ◽  
Ran Schwarzkopf ◽  
Roy Davidovitch

AbstractMeasuring patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes following total joint arthroplasty remains controversial with most tools failing to account for both surgeon and patient satisfaction in regard to outcomes. The purpose of this study was to use “The Forgotten Joint Score” questionnaire to assess clinical outcomes comparing patients who underwent a total hip arthroplasty (THA) with those who underwent a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent primary THA or TKA between September 2016 and September 2019 and responded to the Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12) questionnaire at least at one of three time periods (3, 12, and 21 months), postoperatively. An electronic patient rehabilitation application was used to administer the questionnaire. Collected variables included demographic data (age, gender, race, body mass index [BMI], and smoking status), length of stay (LOS), and FJS-12 scores. t-test and chi-square were used to determine significance. Linear regression was used to account for demographic differences. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 2,359 patients included in this study, 1,469 underwent a THA and 890 underwent a TKA. Demographic differences were observed between the two groups with the TKA group being older, with higher BMI, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists scores, and longer LOS. Accounting for the differences in demographic data, THA patients consistently had higher scores at 3 months (53.72 vs. 24.96; p < 0.001), 12 months (66.00 vs. 43.57; p < 0.001), and 21 months (73.45 vs. 47.22; p < 0.001). FJS-12 scores for patients that underwent THA were significantly higher in comparison to TKA patients at 3, 12, and 21 months postoperatively. Increasing patient age led to a marginal increase in FJS-12 score in both cohorts. With higher FJS-12 scores, patients who underwent THA may experience a more positive evolution with their surgery postoperatively than those who had TKA.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naofumi Taniguchi ◽  
Tetsuya Jinno ◽  
Tetsuro Ohba ◽  
Hiroshi Endo ◽  
Masanori Wako ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objectives To clarify the longitudinal changes in patients with preoperative Stage-3 locomotive syndrome (LS) according to different types of surgeries, we investigated the changes in the LS stage in patients who underwent surgery for degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on 168 patients with degenerative diseases [46 spinal deformities treated with thoracolumbar interbody fusion (T/LIF), 86 hips with osteoarthritis treated with total hip arthroplasty (THA), and 36 knees with osteoarthritis treated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA)]. The results for the LS stage, stand-up test, two-step test, and 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25) were evaluated preoperatively and at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. Results Preoperatively, most patients had Stage-3 LS (89.1, 90.8, and 80.6% in the T/LIF, THA, and TKA groups, respectively). At 2 years postoperatively, the Stage-3 LS improved in 41.5, 75.6, and 55.2% of patients in the T/LIF, THA, and TKA groups, respectively. All groups showed similar improvements in the two-step test. The THA group showed the best result in the GLFS-25. Conclusions LS stage improved in different patterns over 2 years postoperatively and the LS risk test revealed differences in postoperative movement ability according to the type of surgery.


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