Instead of hearing 'it still hurts' at follow-up, have patients track their pain daily. Post-surgical pain tracking works not as placebo, but through three complementary mechanisms: perceived control, anti-catastrophizing, and expectation reframing.
New data from AAOS 2026 validates remote therapeutic monitoring after TKA in geriatric populations: no increase in complications, lower costs, and successful deployment at scale. Here's what it means for orthopedic practice.
Only 25% of joint replacement patients complete functional outcome tracking at one year. CMS now mandates 50% collection by 2028 or face payment penalties. PROM isn't just a questionnaire — it's the compass that shows both surgeon and patient the full picture of recovery.
In January 2026, CMS launched TEAM — the first mandatory bundled payment model covering joint replacement and spinal fusion. 741 US hospitals must collect PROM and manage complications within a 30-day episode, with zero infrastructure funding. What's the policy signal for orthopedics in Taiwan?
