Guanghui Zhao, Chengyuan Ma, Jianbing Ma, Jianpeng Wang
{"title":"Patient perceptions regarding ambulatory knee arthroplasties in China.","authors":"Guanghui Zhao, Chengyuan Ma, Jianbing Ma, Jianpeng Wang","doi":"10.1186/s42836-025-00316-z","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While same-day discharge models for knee arthroplasty have gained significant traction in China's evolving healthcare landscape, patient perspectives on ambulatory surgical pathways remain underexplored. This qualitative study addresses a critical gap in the literature by systematically assessing patient experiences and perceptions regarding knee arthroplasty within China's emerging ambulatory care framework.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective cohort of 195 consecutive patients scheduled for primary knee arthroplasty at a tertiary orthopedic referral center underwent structured data collection through the WenJuanXing platform between January 1 and June 1, 2024. This cross-sectional survey employed an anonymous voluntary survey instrument administered at two critical timepoints: 1) prior to any clinical discussions regarding postoperative care pathways, and 2) before initiation of standardized preoperative education protocols.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 188 participants (96%, 188/195) completed the survey. Of them, 70% were female and 84% were 60 years or older. While 68% were familiar with ambulatory surgery, awareness did not significantly differ by age (P = 0.64), sex (P = 0.19), occupation (P = 0.42), location (P = 0.55), or education level (P = 0.81). Interestingly, only 8 patients anticipated discharge within 24 h post-surgery, with most (71.8%) expecting a 3-day or more stay. However, if postoperative care was assured, 66% expressed comfort with same-day or 24-h discharge. 93% considered ambulatory knee arthroplasty suitable, and 71.8% believed it would yield superior outcomes through quicker recovery and reduced complications, infections, and pain. Despite this optimism, only 45% were willing to endure longer waits, and a third were open to paying more or traveling farther for ambulatory knee arthroplasty.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study reveals that most Chinese patients initially want ≥ 3-day stays but may accept 24-h discharge for knee arthroplasty. One-third are unaware of ambulatory knee arthroplasty, so more education is needed as procedures rise.</p>","PeriodicalId":52831,"journal":{"name":"Arthroplasty","volume":"7 1","pages":"28"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12147369/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Arthroplasty","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42836-025-00316-z","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ORTHOPEDICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: While same-day discharge models for knee arthroplasty have gained significant traction in China's evolving healthcare landscape, patient perspectives on ambulatory surgical pathways remain underexplored. This qualitative study addresses a critical gap in the literature by systematically assessing patient experiences and perceptions regarding knee arthroplasty within China's emerging ambulatory care framework.
Methods: A prospective cohort of 195 consecutive patients scheduled for primary knee arthroplasty at a tertiary orthopedic referral center underwent structured data collection through the WenJuanXing platform between January 1 and June 1, 2024. This cross-sectional survey employed an anonymous voluntary survey instrument administered at two critical timepoints: 1) prior to any clinical discussions regarding postoperative care pathways, and 2) before initiation of standardized preoperative education protocols.
Results: In total, 188 participants (96%, 188/195) completed the survey. Of them, 70% were female and 84% were 60 years or older. While 68% were familiar with ambulatory surgery, awareness did not significantly differ by age (P = 0.64), sex (P = 0.19), occupation (P = 0.42), location (P = 0.55), or education level (P = 0.81). Interestingly, only 8 patients anticipated discharge within 24 h post-surgery, with most (71.8%) expecting a 3-day or more stay. However, if postoperative care was assured, 66% expressed comfort with same-day or 24-h discharge. 93% considered ambulatory knee arthroplasty suitable, and 71.8% believed it would yield superior outcomes through quicker recovery and reduced complications, infections, and pain. Despite this optimism, only 45% were willing to endure longer waits, and a third were open to paying more or traveling farther for ambulatory knee arthroplasty.
Conclusion: The study reveals that most Chinese patients initially want ≥ 3-day stays but may accept 24-h discharge for knee arthroplasty. One-third are unaware of ambulatory knee arthroplasty, so more education is needed as procedures rise.