David F. Dalury, MD, Chair of the Patient Education Subcommittee gave the following report at the AAHKS Annual Meeting:

Most significant activities or developments:

Our accomplishments for 2014 centered on developing a strategy for the development of video content to be available on our website. There has been general agreement on our committee that certain topics should be covered. Examples include:

1) Basic descriptions of hip and knee arthritis (and osteonecrosis)

2) Non-surgical management (injections, medications, braces, exercise, weight loss, etc.)

3) Animation versus video of THR, TKR and UKR

4) Rehab exercises (geared to those who can’t or don’t want to attend formal Pt)

5) Specialty topics (e.g. anterior approach to the hip, patello-femoral replacement, use of computers, custom cutting guides etc.).

Our biggest struggle has been finding access to appropriate content. We have reviewed many different commercial websites (Emmi.com, Yourpracticeonline.com, Mudbug.com etc.) as well as the Orthoinfo website from the AAOS. I have been in contact with Stuart Fisher who edits the Orthoinfo for the AAOS and he has offered to work with AAHKS.

Plans for next year:

Our major request will be getting clarity from the Board for their support for our efforts and a decision as to whom should pull together the video library: Communications or Patient Education Subcommittees (recognizing Communications will be more directed to the membership). We would also like to get direction from the Board on whether we should license the material, create our own or simply link to the AAOS. We will have to decide on a budget, a theme/appearance, etc., and this would be our major goal for 2015.