The Orthopedics team at The Christ Hospital Health Network is leading the way when it comes patient experience through a variety of efforts. The Joint & Spine Center has received the Joint Commission Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Knee Replacement, which shows a commitment to standardization by minimizing risk and providing exceptional outcomes to patients. Additionally, the orthopedics department has worked closely with others across the organization to minimize patients use of opioids before and after surgery. “The opioid sparing committee works to identify and process patients for better outcomes.” said Michael Palmer, MD, medical director of the musculoskeletal service line. “By doing so, patients can be discharged faster, have minimal post-operative complications and lessen sleep disturbance.” Finally, patients of our musculoskeletal service line are enrolled in Caresense – a digital care navigation, patient engagement and data collection system that allows providers to stay in constant communication with orthopedic patients. The Caresense platform utilizes phone calls, text messages, emails and app notifications at various checkpoints in the care experience, which means providers can educate, monitor, survey and communicate with them in real time. It also means that providers have excellent data to be able to adjust care accordingly. Most importantly, we can engage patients early and often, which eliminates confusion and provides an overall better patient experience. “Caresense allows us the capability to more effectively and efficiently guide our patients through their entire joint replacement journey,” said Palmer. “It leads to improved adherence to pre and post-operative protocols, higher patient satisfaction, a greater patient experience and better outcomes.”