Disseminating AAOS evidence-based clinical practice guidelines is a key component of the guidelines process; without dissemination, guideline recommendations cannot be implemented and they will influence neither practice nor policy. The overall objective is to develop a dissemination program that integrates patient- centered outcomes research into the clinical practice of orthopaedics using innovative methods. The AAOS will be developing an app, and the app is to support five major elements. First, the app will contain all AAOS clinical practice guideline recommendations. Second, the app users will get case scenarios with multiple choice questions related to the guideline topic delivered to their mobile devices on a bi-monthly basis. Third, the app user will be able to take AAOS online courses on evidence-based medicine thru their app for CME credit. Fourth, the app user will be able to view live guideline webinars, and replays through the app for additional CME credit. Finally, the app will have a place for guideline based patient safety process management checklists. Additionally, all elements will have the capability for AAOS to collect usage data for evaluation of the project. Also, all users of the app will be pushed to further discuss content of the app of the AAOS Facebook page and the AAOS discussion boards. The overall expected outcome is to improve patient care in orthopaedics. This innovative dissemination strategy advances and accelerates the implementation and wide-spread adoption of AAOS Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines and tools which will improve the quality of care for patients. One of the key objectives of the plan is to give the practitioner multiple innovative opportunities to engage with the guideline, become familiar with its recommendations, and implement them in practice. To improve patient care in orthopaedics, additional companion tools to the CPGs will be disseminated and evaluated.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is developing an innovate dissemination plan for orthopaedic evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to help improve the quality of care patients receive. This dissemination program will help physicians gain quick access to the best research available and deliver the highest quality of care.