“WAITING POORLY” FOR HIP AND KNEE ARTHROPLASTY: DECLINING QUALITY OF LIFE AND A PERCEIVED LACK OF SUPPORT. FINDINGS OF THE MULTICENTRE WAIT-DATA STUDY

Prolonged waiting times for hip and knee arthroplasty are associated with deterioration in health-related quality of life. The lived experience of waiting for arthroplasty remains poorly characterised. This study evaluated patients’ experiences of preoperative information, advice, and support, and identified groups reporting the lowest satisfaction. The ‘ What Are the Implications to Delayed Access to Arthroplasty ?’ (WAIT-DATA) study was a prospective multicentre audit of patients awaiting elective hip or knee arthroplasty across 14 UK hospitals. Participants completed a standardised questionnaire assessing satisfaction with nine domains of preoperative information and support, each rated on a five-point Likert scale. Composite “Information and Advice” and “Support” scores were derived, and associations with demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors were examined using multivariable linear regression. Among 851 respondents (mean age 69; 57.7% female), overall satisfaction was moderate. Patients were generally well informed about their condition (mean 4.14±0.92) and operation (4.34±0.88), but less satisfied with support for weight management (3.49±0.98), general health (3.54±1.01), and mental wellbeing (3.46±1.02) (p < 0.001). Older age, obesity, deprivation, and new physical or mental diagnoses were associated with lower satisfaction, although effect sizes were small. Poorer self-reported health and quality-of-life change showed stronger links with dissatisfaction, particularly regarding waiting time. Almost half reported opioid use, and most described deteriorating function and activity while waiting. Patients awaiting arthroplasty experience significant physical and psychological decline yet receive inconsistent support. The waiting period should be reframed as an active phase of preparation, with proactive multidisciplinary support helping patients to “wait well” rather than “wait poorly.”