A Trial to Establish Realistic Patient Expectations of Total Knee Replacement

Patients from the Joint Replacement Institute scheduled to undergo primary total knee replacement surgery (TKR) will be invited to participate at the Pre Admission Clinic (PAC), University Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre. Baseline questionnaires of preoperative measures and demographic information and a cost analysis will be explored at the PAC for each patient. Patients will be randomized with the treatment group receiving access to a web-based, e-learning intervention. Postoperatively all patients will be asked to complete questionnaires at 6 weeks, 3 months and 1 year after their TKR surgery. Objectives The first primary objective is to compare the effect of two methods of providing patient education on expectations of surgical outcome in total knee replacement (TKR) patients. The second objective is to compare the effect of two methods of providing patient education on satisfaction with surgical outcome in TKR patients. The intervention of interest is an e-learning education program that spans both the preoperative and postoperative time period. The control condition will be the current method of patient education provided at the hospital study site. Hypothesis: Objective One More change in patient expectations will occur between preoperative and one year postoperative in the e-learning educational intervention group. Hypothesis: Objective Two More change in patient satisfaction will occur between preoperative and one year postoperative in the e-learning educational intervention group.