Leveraging Early Discharge and Telehealth Technology to Safely Conserve Resources and Minimize Personal Contact During COVID-19 in an Arthroplasty Practice

BACKGROUND: As much as the world was hoping that COVID-19 would quickly burn out, it is becoming increasingly likely that there will be no magic bullet to bring the pandemic to an end. Although recent vaccine developments have been encouraging, the persistence of the virus appears to be likely with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus becoming endemic throughout the world. METHODS: This article summarizes a presentation at the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons 2020 Annual Meeting on “Optimizing Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in the COVID Era”. This new reality presents an opportunity for arthroplasty surgeons to leverage new technologies and change practice habits to keep patients and providers safe. RESULTS: Both early discharge and telehealth can be leveraged in the COVID-19 era to help address some of the challenges of the pandemic. However, concerns and limitations with both approaches need to be considered when implementing in practice. CONCLUSIONS: The continued practice of elective hip and knee arthroplasty relies on providers adapting to “the new normal.” The extent to which these technologies and changes in practice will persist beyond the pandemic is unclear.