Improving orthopedic patient care

We conduct research related to muscles, joints and bones to help patients prevent and recover from injuries and to stay active as they age. We also study patient-reported outcomes, which capture the patient’s perspective of the impact of orthopedic-related care on quality of life and ability to function. Orthopedic research is conducted at Regions Hospital, Methodist Hospital and TRIA Orthopedic Centers in partnership with physicians from the University of Minnesota. We explore the latest orthopedics research in the areas of:

Concussion
Foot/ankle
Geriatric fractures
Hand/wrist
Hip
Knee

Musculoskeletal radiology
Patient-reported outcome measures
Rehabilitation
Shoulder
Sports medicine
Value

Investigators

TRIA Research and Education Center

TRIA is committed to advancing care through research. Their innovative studies range from improving surgical techniques to accelerating recovery. Details regarding TRIA research and projects can be found on their website.

Key projects

The Scapula Institute

The Scapula Institute is a research and educational institute dedicated to the study of the scapula (shoulder blade) and fractures connected with it. Some of our surgeons are members of NASCon (North American Scapula Consortium). They are working with the Scapula Institute to improve patient care. We are seeing improved treatment protocols emerging now that research is focusing on patient-oriented outcomes. We have shown that there is a relationship between patients’ perception of shoulder deformity and clinical measurements after scapula fracture.

The Value Initiative

The Value Initiative is an orthopedic-focused group dedicated to optimizing and implementing value-based care. Value is crucial in the field of orthopedics as it has been estimated that orthopedic surgeons influence over half of health care costs. We believe that as an orthopedic group, we can work to increase value at our own institution, as well as assist other health care systems in determining the value of their care.

PROMOTE (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Optimization via Technology and Engagement)

Our goal is to enhance the orthopedics patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) initiative by learning what patients want to achieve after hip or knee replacement or spinal surgery. That information will be used to test the impact of giving this information to patients and to clinicians through the patient’s electronic health record. It will also be used to test the impact of comparative reporting of PROMs and health care costs to surgeons.

Masters Orthopedic Program

The Masters Orthopedic Program focuses on three important goals. The first is to provide the best care for older patients who have sustained a fracture. Second, to prevent another fracture once an initial fracture has been treated, through a service called Bone Health Clinic. And third, to provide geriatric orthopedic care to older patients living in nursing care facilities, through a service called Mobile Outreach. Areas of research focus include patient-centered outcomes, nutrition in hip fracture patients, cognition in hip fracture patients related to delirium, post-operative cognitive decline (POCD), and dementia.

Hip fractures and mobile outreach: patient-preferred outcomes tool development

The goal is to identify patient-preferred and patient-centered outcomes. That information will be used to develop PROMs appropriate for elderly patients with hip fractures living in or receiving post-fracture care in a nursing facility.

Key publications

Learn more about our Orthopedics investigators and their publications by visiting Knowledge Exchange.

Orthopedics