Can digital engagement improve outcomes for total joint replacements?

Background: Patient activation and engagement can improve outcomes of medical and surgical care by increasing involvement of patients in their care plan. We designed a digital engagement tool to improve surgical cancellation and post-surgical outcomes for adult patients undergoing total joint replacements by providing patient education materials via email or text, in small increments throughout the perioperative period.

Methods: We assessed the tool's impact using a quasi-experimental design comparing patients scheduled for surgery January-June 2017 (pre-intervention) versus January-June 2018 (post-intervention).

Point absorbers in Advanced LIGO.

Small, highly absorbing points are randomly present on the surfaces of the main interferometer optics in Advanced LIGO. The resulting nanometer scale thermo-elastic deformations and substrate lenses from these micron-scale absorbers significantly reduce the sensitivity of the interferometer directly though a reduction in the power-recycling gain and indirect interactions with the feedback control system. We review the expected surface deformation from point absorbers and provide a pedagogical description of the impact on power buildup in second generation gravitational wave detectors (dual-recycled Fabry-Perot Michelson interferometers).

Communication technology and social media: opportunities and implications for healthcare systems.

Electronic patient education and communications, such as email, text messaging, and social media, are on the rise in healthcare today. This article explores potential uses of technology to seek solutions in healthcare for such challenges as modifying behaviors related to chronic conditions, improving efficiency, and decreasing costs. A brief discussion highlights the role of technologies in healthcare informatics and considers two theoretical bases for technology implementation.