Mobile Application Use in Monitoring Patient Adherence to Perioperative Total Knee Arthroplasty Protocols

The potential for using mobile applications (apps) as an effective tool to monitor patients in an outpatient setting is promising. Past studies have investigated the use of applications in preoperative and postoperative settings as well as in monitoring and treating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), and multiple sclerosis. However, there is limited data on its specific use in the context of total knee arthroplasty. Given the complicated nature and crucial role of patient adherence to protocols during the preparatory and recovery phases of the procedure, the use of an app can serve as a helpful tool in aiding patients throughout this process. We present a pilot study to assess the efficacy of using such an app in order to monitor patient adherence to total knee arthroplasty-specific preoperative and postoperative protocols. Preoperative protocols used in this study included a 5-item medication protocol and multiple activity instructions. Postoperative patient protocols included following instructions on topics such as recording responses to quality-of-life questions, when and how to contact the clinical team if patients had non-emergent concerns or questions, and carrying out daily physical therapy (PT) exercises. Patients received and recorded responses to these preoperative and postoperative instructions using the iGetBetter program application installed on an iPad Mini, provided to the participants. Patient adherence was based on the data gathered from the patient responses inputted on this app. Adherence rates were comparable to those reported in various past studies that also investigated rates of adherence to health management-related instructions communicated through mobile apps.