A P R I L 2 0 1 6 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 4 5
Keeping hip and knee replacement patients engaged is one of the
keys to outpatient total joint success. It's also challenging, consid-
ering that the entire journey, from pre-op planning to rehab, takes
months. You can't be with patients every day, but a Web-based
interactive care plan that explains what to expect before, during,
and after surgery can.
Wellbe (wellbe.me) is one such Web-based plan. Patients have
the chance to get acquainted with the program the day surgery is
scheduled. They then periodically receive "care cards" via e-mail.
One of the first cards introduces the nurse navigator, who also works to keep the patient informed. The care cards are timed
to arrive at appropriate intervals, which is also a plus, says Kate Gillespie, MBA, assistant vice president of the Orthopedic
Service Line and administrator of the Joint Replacement Institute at Virtua Health in Marlton, N.J., which began a pilot pro-
gram with Wellbe last December.
Wellbe is provided to all hip and knee replacement patients at Virtua Joint Replacement Institute at no cost. Patients can
access the platform via PC, tablet or smartphone. They gradually learn about anesthesia, what to expect on the day of sur-
gery, what forms they need to fill out, how to make sure their homes are properly prepared for post-op rehab and all the
other information that used to have to be packed into a 45-minute discussion with the nurse navigator or classes at the hos-
pital.
The nurse navigator, meanwhile, can use the program to keep track of whether patients are opening the care cards, to
make sure that they're reading them and to respond to patient questions. As surgery gets closer, patients receive reminders
about arrival times and about not eating or drinking after midnight the night before. There's also a financial component to let
patients know how their insurance checks out. The care cards continue to arrive in the weeks after surgery with reminders
about exercises and medication, as well as which symptoms are to be expected and which might warrant extra attention.
Some leaders at Virtua wondered how many patients would be technologically sophisticated enough to use the program,
but only about 1 in 10 have been unwilling or unable to embrace the technology. "A lot of patients have grandkids and are
using Facebook and FaceTime to be able to connect with them," says Ms. Gillespie. "So, they get it."
— Jim Burger
E-MAIL ENGAGEMENT
Web-Based Plan Keeps Total Joint Patients on Track
• DAILY UPDATES The Wellbe interactive fills in informa-
