The Journal of Arthroplasty
Volume 23, Issue 1 , Pages 69-73.e2, January 2008

Effectiveness of Best Practice Implementation in Reducing Hip Arthroplasty Length of Stay

  • Margaret G.E. Peterson, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, New York
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Margaret G.E. Peterson, PhD, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th St, New York, NY 10021.
    • ,
  • JeMe Cioppa-Mosca, MBA, PT

      Affiliations

    • Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, New York
    • ,
  • Eileen Finerty, RN

      Affiliations

    • Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, New York
    • ,
  • Suzanne Graziano, RN

      Affiliations

    • Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, New York
    • ,
  • Sue King, MSC

      Affiliations

    • The South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre, London, UK
    • ,
  • Thomas P. Sculco, MD

      Affiliations

    • Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, New York

Received 22 June 2006; accepted 10 December 2006.

Abstract 

A transfer of a best practice model was performed between a new institution in the United Kingdom and a leading orthopedic hospital in the United States. The quality concepts transferred to the UK were surgical and hospital throughput, hospital facility design, an Interdisciplinary Preoperative Patient Education Program, infection control standards, and a standardized rehabilitation model. The new hospital was officially opened in February 2004, and the average length of stay for total hip arthroplasty between February and December 2004 was 6.1 ± 3.0 days, a substantial reduction of 5 days on average. The infection rate was reduced from 1% to 0.16%. This study supports the notion that the implementation of a best practice approach significantly reduces length of stay as well as infection rate.

Keywords: total hip arthroplasty, length of stay, best practices, knowledge transfer

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

 No benefits or funds were received in support of the study.

 This study was approved by the Hospital for Special Surgery Institutional Review Board (protocol no. 25006).

 Additional material for this article may be found online at http://www.arthroplastyjournal.org.

PII: S0883-5403(06)00892-8

doi:10.1016/j.arth.2006.12.044

The Journal of Arthroplasty
Volume 23, Issue 1 , Pages 69-73.e2, January 2008

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution