Postoperative total joint replacement class for support persons: enhancing patient and family centered care using a...

Thorough patient education is imperative to smooth transitions and positive patient outcomes. Often postoperative patients are exhausted, overwhelmed and taking sedating medications, making retention of patient education information and instructions a challenge. Healthcare providers must find innovative opportunities to educate not only patients but also their loved ones to ensure positive outcomes after discharge. The Plan, Do, Study, Act quality improvement model wa utilized to organize and evaluate a weekly postoperative class for support persons of patients who have undergone total joint replacement surgery in an effort to enhance patient- and family-centered care. Results gathered from post-class surveys thus far indicate that the knowledge gained from the postoperative class has increased perception of caregiver preparedness for the recovery phase once the patient is discharged from the hospital.