Patient Education for innovative technology in shoulder arthroplasty: does knowledge improve outcomes?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Surgical Technology
• Patient Education

Background:

• Advanced technologies like 3D planning and AR are increasingly used in total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA).
• The impact of these technologies on patient perception and satisfaction in TSA is not well understood.
• Previous studies suggest pre-operative education improves patient confidence and perception in hip and knee arthroplasty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if pre-operative education about surgical technology independently impacts clinical outcomes in primary TSA.
• To assess the effect of educational interventions on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and range of motion (ROM).

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 154 patients undergoing primary TSA.
• An intervention group viewed a 3-minute video on surgical technologies; a control group did not.
• Clinical outcomes (ROM, PROMs) and patient perceptions were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• The educational video significantly increased patient confidence and improved expectations regarding results, complications, pain, and recovery.
• No significant differences in post-operative range of motion (ROM) or patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were observed between the groups.
• Baseline demographics and pre-operative function were comparable between the video and control groups.

Conclusions:

• Pre-operative education enhances patient confidence and optimism regarding TSA but does not independently alter functional recovery or satisfaction.
• While educational interventions improve the patient experience, they do not directly impact clinical outcomes.
• Structured, interactive patient education may be beneficial as technology becomes more central to shoulder arthroplasty.