Orthopaedic Surgery Resource for Providers and Leaders
Are you looking to reduce complications and support shorter hospital stays and safer transitions after orthopaedic surgery? Access the Enhanced Recovery Canada™ (ERC) Clinical Pathway for Inpatient and Outpatient Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.
Based on surgical best practices, this clinical resource for hip and knee surgeries provides guidance on all stages of the patient’s journey, from pre-admission to post discharge. It supports a multidisciplinary team approach and can be used by providers across the continuum of surgical care.
If implemented consistently, these strategies improve patient experience and reduce length of stay, complication rates and hospital readmissions – all valuable outcomes at a time when healthcare systems are under serious pressure.
This resource also includes a template for physician orders as well as a data collection and measurement resource.
A complementary set of resources for patients undergoing knee and hip surgeries is also available.
What does this orthopaedic surgery resource cover?
Based on Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) surgical best practices that put the quadruple aim within reach, the ERC orthopaedic clinical pathway is built on six core pillars:
- patient and family engagement
- nutrition management
- fluid and hydration management
- early mobility and physical activity
- surgical best practices
- pain management with fewer narcotics (multi-modal opioid-sparing analgesia)
Who can use this orthopaedic surgery resource?
This clinical pathway has been developed for all healthcare professionals involved in the care of total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) patients. This includes surgeons, anaesthesiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, dietitians and others. It’s also a resource for healthcare leaders and policy makers.
The purpose of this clinical pathway is to provide healthcare providers and leaders in Canada with evidence-informed strategies to improve surgical outcomes in all hip and knee arthroplasty.
All adult patients who require total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty should be considered for ERAS management using the recommendations provided in this clinical pathway, regardless of the planned hospital length of stay (outpatient or hospitalized).
How was this orthopaedic surgery resource developed?
This clinical pathway was developed by a diverse group of experts from various healthcare fields and patients from across the country. A patient and family engagement working group developed the patient resources complementary to the clinical pathway, ensuring the patient perspective was integrated and prioritized throughout.
Learn more about Enhanced Recovery Canada and its clinical resources for healthcare providers and leaders.
What additional resources are available?
- A Guide to Patient Safety Improvement is an implementation resource that can support healthcare providers using enhanced recovery guidance.
- Learn more about Enhanced Recovery Canada and the ERAS principles.
