HSS@Home, Physical Therapist-Led Telehealth Care Navigation for Arthroplasty Patients: A Retrospective Case Series

BACKGROUND: As the rate of total joint arthroplasties performed in the USA continues to increase, so does the push for more value-based care. Bundled payments have encouraged organizations to be creative in limiting care overuse. Telehealth is one option for caring for arthroplasty patients post-surgery while limiting costs and improving communication with the surgical team. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We sought to determine the effects of the implementation of HSS@Home, a telehealth rehabilitation program that uses patients’ existing technology, in patients after they had undergone total knee or total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, of 32 patients referred, 19 patients (nine men and ten women; average age, 69 years) were enrolled in HSS@Home after undergoing a pre- and post-operative screening process. Telehealth video visits were conducted, wherein a physical therapy navigator assisted patients in following exercise and mobility programs, addressing patients’ concerns while transitioning to outpatient therapy. Patients were seen within 24 h of hospital discharge, 3 times a week for 3 weeks, for an average of 11 sessions. Episodes of care were recorded in the patient’s electronic medical record. RESULTS: There were no readmissions among the 19 patients. Nurse practitioners were consulted for all patients, predominantly for non-emergent reasons. Feedback from patients and physicians was positive, and no overutilization of care was found. CONCLUSION: HSS@Home was a promising alternative to live, in-home physical therapy that was effective in monitoring this series of patients after hip or knee arthroplasty. This preliminary data sets the stage for further research into the use of telehealth technology to provide rehabilitative care to arthroplasty patients. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s11420-019-09714-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.