Help Patients Navigate Orthopedic & Musculoskeletal Care.

• 53.2M¹

  U.S. adults estimated to have diagnosed arthritis, 2019–2021

1. 1

   The Problem

   CDC reports that an estimated 53.2 million U.S. adults had diagnosed arthritis during 2019–2021. Arthritis includes many conditions; people may also need help understanding which diagnosis they have and what their individual plan involves.¹

2. 2

   The Cost to Care Teams

   When medications, activity changes and walking supports no longer help enough, some people with hip arthritis consider total hip replacement. AAOS, citing the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, reports more than 450,000 total hip replacements each year in the U.S. AHRQ's patient booklet notes that preparing for surgery can be overwhelming and that the surgery team creates a recovery program for each person, so every operation brings preparation, questions and a recovery plan to explain and review.^2,3

3. 3

   When Preparation Doesn't Fit the Person

   Preoperative education is now part of the consent process, but a Cochrane review of 18 trials (1,463 participants) found low-quality evidence that it may not improve pain, function or anxiety after hip or knee replacement more than usual care. The authors suggest education matched to a person's physical, psychological and social needs may help some people, such as those with anxiety or unrealistic expectations.⁴

4. 4

   What Better Support Can Do

   A 2023 review of 48 randomized trials (3,570 participants) found moderate-certainty evidence that prehabilitation improved function and strength before knee replacement, and quality of life and hip muscle strength before hip replacement, compared with usual care. Most evidence after surgery was low certainty, limited by risk of bias and differences between programs. These findings support clinician-directed preparation, not a promise of a particular recovery. The trials did not evaluate PATHS. A Path could organize education and agreed exercises around the surgical team's plan.⁵

• Prehab Exercises Path

  Theo practices the exercises his physical therapist recommends before surgery. Knowledge checks show the team which parts of the plan need clearer teaching.

• Home Setup Path

  Theo gets his home ready for recovery, from stairs to his dog's routine. The questions patients ask show the team where the guidance can be clearer.

• Recovery and Rehab Path

  Theo knows what to expect after surgery as he works back toward walks with his dog. That helps the team adjust his rehab around what matters to him.

The more the health system knows about each patient's experience and journey, the better it can make its workflows. What Theo and every other patient engage with, understand and ask about becomes health system intelligence: the team learns from every patient and refines each Path, so the next patient's experience is better. Clearer Paths mean fewer repeat calls and less time re-teaching the same education, and that saves time and money across the health system.