Total knee replacement (TKR) surgery typically has a success rate of 80 to 90 percent in eliminating pain caused by knee osteoarthritis. So why do some people who are qualified to have TKR put off having the surgery?
To answer this question, Veritas Health conducted a survey of over 300 people with severe knee osteoarthritis, asking why they put off total knee replacement surgery despite their doctor’s recommendation.
The top reason: “My recovery after surgery might be long and painful.”
The level of concern TKR candidates express about the recovery process presents a challenge for many orthopedic groups. But with this challenge comes an opportunity to more strategically reach TKR candidates, helping relieve their worries about the recovery.
5 Steps to Addressing TKR Candidates’ #1 Concern:
Proactive orthopedic groups can effectively engage the interest of prospective patients by making postoperative pain management information central to their education and marketing messages. Here’s how:
1. Emphasize the process after surgery. A lot of marketing is focused on the surgery itself: the technology, the procedure, the surgeon’s experience. There’s an opportunity to make your practice stand out by uniquely addressing patients’ primary concerns about postoperative pain management and recovery.
2. Describe the pain clearly. In marketing messaging, use detail to discuss the type of pain, the location of the pain, the intensity of the pain, how the experience of pain might change throughout the recovery. Compare this short-term pain to the chronic pain prior to the surgery. This information gives potential patients a picture of what to expect; it makes the situation seem more manageable.
3. Identify pain control options. Let patients know what pain control options are available, including prescription pain medications. Discuss how well the options work, and what the patient can do if the pain control is insufficient. This clarity helps potential patients feel a sense of control and confidence.
4. Utilize patient testimonials. Share testimonials from TKR surgery patients who talk about your unique postoperative pain management services. Reading the actual experiences may resonate with prospective candidates.
5. Frame the recovery timeline. Educate patients on how many months they can typically expect for recovery. Communicate upfront the actions they can take to help reduce their recovery timeline, such as losing weight and engaging in pre-hab. Describe how the selection of surgical variables impacts speed, pain, and overall success of recovery.
About Veritas Health
Veritas Health works with medical groups, hospitals and ASCs across the country to market their Spine and Orthopedic services to the modern healthcare consumer. This specialized marketing is centered on the Veritas Health educational platform - best-in-class online health content delivered via top-ranked websites Spine-health.com, Arthritis-health.com, Sports-health.com – and leverages the power of >60 million healthcare consumers actively researching conditions, treatments and providers for their musculoskeletal disorders.