Machine Learning Model Developed to Aid in Patient Selection for Outpatient Total Joint Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND: Patient selection for outpatient total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is important for optimizing patient outcomes. This study develops machine learning models that may aid in patient selection for outpatient TJA based on medical comorbidities and demographic factors. METHODS: This study queried elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) cases during 2010-2018 in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Artificial neural network models predicted same-day discharge and length of stay (LOS) fewer than 2 days (short LOS). Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify variables significantly associated with predicted outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 284,731 TKA cases and 153,053 THA cases met inclusion criteria. For TKA, prediction of short LOS had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.767 and accuracy of 84.1%; prediction of same-day discharge had an AUC of 0.802 and accuracy of 89.2%. For THA, prediction of short LOS had an AUC of 0.757 and accuracy of 70.6%; prediction of same-day discharge had an AUC of 0.814 and accuracy of 78.8%. CONCLUSION: This study developed machine learning models for aiding patient selection for outpatient TJA, through accurately predicting short LOS or outpatient vs inpatient cases. As outpatient TJA expands, it will be important to optimize preoperative patient selection and effectively screen surgical candidates from a broader patient population. Incorporating models such as these into electronic medical records could aid in decision-making and resource planning in real time.