What question did this study set out to answer?

This review aims to synthesize knowledge management practices in orthopedic hospitals and link them to patient safety and organizational performance.

April 29, 2026Open Access

Knowledge Management in Orthopedic Hospitals: A Narrative Review of Digital Infrastructure, Multidisciplinary Coordination, and Patient Safety

Key Points

This review aims to synthesize knowledge management practices in orthopedic hospitals and link them to patient safety and organizational performance.
Conducted a structured narrative review using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL.
Prioritized literature from January 2020 to March 2026 covering orthopedic care and digital health contexts.
Synthesized findings thematically from 88 sources discussing KM governance, technology use, and implementation barriers.
Identified six themes in orthopedic KM: governance, knowledge sharing, evidence use, technology-enabled KM, and implementation barriers.
Highlighted unique KM needs in orthopedic hospitals, including implant surveillance and perioperative coordination.
Proposes KM as a core clinical infrastructure element supporting patient safety and evidence-based practice.

Abstract

Orthopedic hospitals are knowledge-intensive settings shaped by high procedural volume, multidisciplinary coordination, implant- and imaging-based decision-making, and extended rehabilitation pathways. However, knowledge management (KM) in orthopedic healthcare remains insufficiently synthesized. This review examined current evidence on KM in orthopedic healthcare and proposed an orthopedic-specific framework linking KM processes with patient safety and organizational performance. A structured narrative review was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. Literature published from January 2020 to March 2026 was prioritized, with selective inclusion of seminal theoretical, registry, and policy sources. Eligible studies addressed hospital-based orthopedic care or related musculoskeletal, surgical, nursing, and digital health contexts relevant to knowledge capture, sharing, evidence use, implementation, patient safety, and performance. Given the heterogeneity of the included literature, findings were synthesized thematically and interpreted in relation to study characteristics, practical relevance, contextual transferability, and conceptual contribution. A total of 88 sources were included. Six recurring themes were identified across orthopedic-specific and transferable healthcare literature: KM governance; knowledge capture and codification; multidisciplinary knowledge sharing; evidence use and pathway standardization; technology-enabled KM; and implementation barriers and enablers. Orthopedic hospitals showed distinctive KM needs related to implant surveillance, perioperative coordination, rehabilitation continuity, outcome feedback, and tacit procedural expertise. This review suggests that KM may be regarded as a core component of clinical infrastructure in orthopedic healthcare. Strengthening KM may support evidence-based practice, multidisciplinary coordination, digital capability, and patient safety. Future research should prioritize orthopedic-specific KM metrics and prospective evaluation of human-centered and digital integration strategies.

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