Orthopedic leaders say patient expectations have changed significantly in recent years, influenced by advances in technology, greater access to information and growing consumerism in healthcare.
Question: What’s the biggest shift you’ve seen in orthopedic patient expectations over the last five years?
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Kevin Bozic, MD. Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery & Perioperative Care, Dell Medical School at the University of Texas (Austin): Patients want care that is collaborative, focused on the outcomes that matter to them, digitally accessible and efficient, with full transparency and understanding of the risks, benefits and costs. The era of consumerism in healthcare is upon us and is here to stay. And that is a good thing! Patients who are well informed and engaged are more likely to achieve better health outcomes.
Martin Jenter, DO. President of Integrowth Orthopedic Specialists and Hip and Knee Reconstruction Surgeon (Novi, Mich.): I think I have seen patients expecting better results and more instant satisfaction, making it more difficult for us as providers to make patients happy.
I have many patients content with their care and results, but it takes more time, effort and work to achieve patient satisfaction. There is an ever-growing level of competition in the total joint replacement market, making it almost a contest to see who can get to the patient’s surgery. I have been the third opinion in the area for a routine surgery, and my patients have done the same with shopping around for the doctor who promises the most for their requests. Ultimately, patients are getting the best care possible in my location in the suburbs of Detroit.
David Kalainov, MD. Medical Director of Orthopedics at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago): Patients seem to better understand the need for clinician EMR interaction during a visit, including looking at a computer screen, typing in orders and checking required boxes as part of completing the visit. Orthopedic patients are also inquiring more about stem cells; however, stem cell therapy is being promoted by a few orthopedic colleagues as an acceptable treatment for conditions with limited or questionable supportive research. In addition, patients appear to have a better understanding of insurance pre-authorization requirements and the unfortunate holdups these processes can cause for advanced imaging studies.
Matthew Provencher, MD. Complex Shoulder, Knee and Sports surgeon at The Steadman Clinic (Vail, Colo.): One of the biggest shifts we have seen in orthopedic patient expectations is that our patients are becoming much better educated in their care journey, with a better understanding of their injury, possible treatments and the orthopedic technology landscape. With this, our patients have become savvier with how they approach their appointments, their surgery, as well as their recovery.
J. Tracy Watson, MD. Chief of Orthopedic Trauma Service at St. Louis University School of Medicine: Orthopedic trauma surgeons are seeing a major shift in patient expectations, often driven by advances in elective orthopedics and sports medicine. Rapid recovery narratives around outpatient joint replacement, immediate pain control, early mobilization, robotic technology and arthroscopic procedures have shaped a perception that recovery from orthopedic injury should be fast and predictable.
In contrast, patients who sustain severe traumatic injuries from events such as motor vehicle accidents often face prolonged hospitalizations, staged reconstructions and complex recoveries. Despite significant advances in trauma care that have dramatically improved survival and limb preservation, patients and families may struggle to accept medically realistic outcomes. Helping patients understand the tradeoffs required after catastrophic injury and recognize survival and functional recovery as meaningful successes, has become an increasingly critical part of orthopedic trauma care.
Joseph Zuckerman, MD. Chair of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Langone Health (New York City): Orthopedic patients expect their care to include the latest technology. They are very aware of the new technology that may be available even though they are often not knowledgeable about the presence or absence of proven benefits. They assume that new technology will be associated with better outcomes.
