Successful Implementation of an Accelerated Recovery and Outpatient Total Joint Arthroplasty Program at a County Hospital

Outpatient and accelerated recovery total joint arthroplasty (TJA) programs have become standard for private and academic practices. County hospitals traditionally serve patients with limited access to TJA and psychosocial factors which create challenges for accelerated recovery. The effectiveness of such programs at a county hospital has not been reported. METHODS: In 2017, our county hospital implemented an accelerated recovery protocol for all TJA patients. This protocol consisted of standardized, preoperative medical and psychosocial optimization, perioperative spinal anesthesia, tranexamic acid and local infiltration analgesia use, postoperative emphasis on non-narcotic analgesia, and early mobilization. LOS, complications, disposition, and cost were compared between patients treated before and after protocol implementation. RESULTS: In 15 months, 108 primary TJA patients were treated. Compared with the previous 108 TJA patients, LOS dropped from 3.4 to 1.6 days (P < 0.001), more patients discharged home (92% versus 72%, P < 0.001), average hospitalization and procedure-specific costs decreased 24.7% and 22.1%, respectively, and were significantly fewer complications (7% versus 21%, P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of an accelerated recovery TJA program at a County Hospital is novel. This implementation requires careful patient selection and a coordinated multidisciplinary approach and is a safe and cost-effective method of delivering high-quality care to an underserved cohort.