Patient education before hip or knee arthroplasty lowers length of stay

Abstract

From April 2006 to May 2007, 261 patients undergoing primary unilateral total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty were offered voluntary participation in a one-on-one preoperative educational program. Length of stay (LOS) and inpatient data were monitored and recorded, prospectively. Education participants enjoyed a significantly shorter LOS than nonparticipants for both total hip arthroplasty (3.1 +/- 0.8 days vs 3.9 +/- 1.4 days; P = .0001) and total knee arthroplasty (3.1 +/- 0.9 days vs 4.1 +/- 1.9 days; P = .001).