Patient-Directed Care After Carpal Tunnel Release Using Video Integration and Digital Education After Operations...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Patient Care Management
• Digital Health

Background:

• Carpal tunnel release (CTR) is a common and effective surgical procedure.
• The necessity of routine in-person postoperative visits following CTR is increasingly questioned.
• Exploring alternatives to traditional follow-up care is crucial for optimizing patient experience and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a video education and patient-directed care program (VIDEO) compared to traditional in-person follow-up after carpal tunnel release.
• To assess patient-reported outcomes, satisfaction, and practical impacts such as time off work and travel.
• To determine if the VIDEO program is noninferior to in-person visits in terms of functional recovery.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, randomized controlled trial involving 83 patients undergoing open, awake, local-anesthetic CTR.
• Comparison between a control group with standard in-person visits and an experimental group receiving digital education (VIDEO).
• Assessment of PROMIS UE CAT v2.0 scores, patient satisfaction, work/travel time, and complication rates.

Main Results:

• The VIDEO group achieved noninferior improvements in PROMIS UE CAT v2.0 scores compared to the in-person group.
• Patients in the VIDEO group reported significantly less time off work and reduced travel time.
• No significant differences were observed in complication rates, unplanned visits, or communication frequency between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Video education and patient-directed care (VIDEO) offer a comparable alternative to in-person follow-up for select carpal tunnel release patients.
• This digital approach enhances patient convenience by minimizing time away from work and travel.
• The findings support the integration of digital health strategies into postoperative care pathways.