PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A DIGITAL HEALTH SOFTWARE ON CLINICAL OUTCOMES, PATIENT SATISFACTION, AND COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING TOTAL KNEE AND HIP ARTHROPLASTY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEAMLESSMD PLATFORM

Patient-targeted digital health platforms have emerged as a novel and promising tool in healthcare services. This study, unique in its focus, aimed to analyze the preliminary results of the SeamlessMD platform on orthopedic patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) between April 2023 and July 2024 at a single academic institution. We retrospectively studied 671 patients who used the SeamlessMD platform (SMD), comparing the outcomes of 452 patients who did not use the app (non-SMD). All TKA and THA performed in the study period were included. We assessed average lengths of hospital stay (LOS), emergency department (ED) visits, readmission rates, complications, and patient satisfaction. There were 356 women in the SMD group and 239 women in the non-SMD group (P=0.10). The median age of the SMD group and non-SMD groups were 67 and 70 years, respectively (P=0.21). The median Body mass index of both groups was 32 (P=0.31). The average LOS for SMD and non-SMD patients was 1.27 days and 2.90 days, respectively (P=0.10). The SMD group had 98 ED visits, compared to 72 in the non-SMD group (P=0.10). Hence, the 30-day ED visit rates were 14.6% and 15.9%, respectively. We identified 28 and 17 readmissions in SMD and non-SMD patients, respectively (P=0.15), which makes a 30-day readmission rate of 4.2% and 3.8%, respectively. The most common reason for readmission was surgical site infections in both groups. SeamlessMD achieved a 96% patient recommendation rate, highlighting 98% patient satisfaction. Additionally, 94% of patients reported increased confidence before surgery, and 90% felt more assured at home post-surgery, indicating the platform's supportive role in education and health management throughout the surgical process. The integration of SeamlessMD has shown a clear promise in orthopedic surgical care by improving clinical outcomes and fostering patient-centered care during the critical perioperative phase. The strategic use of this platform within the orthopedic department has underscored its potential to facilitate smoother transitions from hospital to home. The higher average LOS for Non-SMD patients may be due to the ability of SMD patients to be discharged earlier with the platform's monitoring capabilities. Notably, SMD reduced the need for prolonged hospitalization without increasing the risk of complications or unnecessary hospital returns. This study suggests that the broad application of digital health tools like SeamlessMD could significantly improve pre- and post-operative care protocols, yielding a more efficient healthcare system, superior patient outcomes, and enriched patient experiences.