Best Practice Knowledge Transfers and Global Partnerships

Best Practice Knowledge Transfers

Hospital for Special Surgery served as a consultant and resource partner to create two specialty elective orthopedic centers in the United Kingdom. HSS played an integral role in developing Southwest London Elective Orthopedic Center (SWLEOC) and the Mid Sussex Orthopaedic Center/Mercury Health. SWLEOC is a National Health Service not-for-profit institution and Mercury Health is a for-profit institution. 

HSS collaborated on all aspects of execution and implementation of clinical pathways and outcomes, rehabilitation, infection control, patient education, staff selection, and the facility design for these institutions. An interdisciplinary team of key leaders from HSS Senior Management, Nursing, Rehabilitation, and Infection Control provided guidance on an ongoing basis from New York and traveled to the sites to offer hands-on collaboration.

The collaborations resulted in lower length of stays and infection rates for joint replacement surgery than the UK national average for both institutions. These trends continue today in both facilities.

Further information about the knowledge transfer project with the Southwest London Elective Orthopaedic Center and the outcomes may be found in the following links:

• Best Knowledge Transfer Project:
  A Transatlantic Perspective to Improve Orthopaedic Care for Arthroplasty Patients
• Effectiveness of Best Practice Implementation in Reducing Hip Arthroplasty Length of Stay
  Article published in the January 2008 issue of The Journal of Arthroplasty

Global Partnerships

As part of its mission to provide the highest quality musculoskeletal care and improve the quality of life for all, HSS welcomes the opportunity to explore partnerships abroad with other healthcare institutions and entities. Partnerships may be a clinical, academic, research, business, or administrative consultant relationship, or some combination of these. HSS is willing to consider relationships with institutions that have a similar mission and vision dedicated to high quality patient care, academic excellence, and cutting-edge research.

To discuss potential partnerships and/or best practice knowledge transfer projects, please send an email to international@hss.edu.