Top 2 Trends Orthopedic Practices Must Tackle in 2026
By Chloe From Clearwave | February 19, 2026
Orthopedic practices are facing a patient population that looks dramatically different from what it did five years ago.
Knee replacements for patients ages 45-64 have surged by 188%, bringing a wave of patients who expect the same digital convenience from their healthcare provider that they get from every other service in their lives. At the same time, AI tools have evolved from experimental technology to practical solutions that are saving practices between 500 and 1,500 hours annually while improving patient acquisition and education.
For practice leaders, understanding these trends is only the first step. The real competitive advantage comes from implementing strategic solutions that address both simultaneously. The practices that strategically address these two trends will gain significant competitive advantages while others fall behind.
Trend 1: Younger Demographics Are Reshaping Orthopedic Patient Engagement
This demographic shift extends beyond knee replacements. Hip replacements for patients ages 45-64 have increased by 123%, reflecting a broader trend of younger, more active patients refusing to let joint pain limit their lifestyles. This represents far more than just rising procedure volumes; it signals a fundamental change in patient expectations and engagement preferences.
As one Novant Health orthopedic surgeon observed,
“The mindset for patients is a lot different than it might have been 20 years ago. Surgery has become a much more acceptable thing for people at younger ages to pursue.”
These younger patients are more active, more informed and considerably more demanding when it comes to the healthcare experience they expect.
What Younger Patients Expect From Their Orthopedic Practice
This demographic shift brings a patient population that has fundamentally different engagement preferences than traditional orthopedic patients.
Millennial and Gen X patients seeking joint replacement are evaluating practices based on three major factors: convenience, digital accessibility and seamless experiences, all of which mirror what they encounter in other areas of their lives.
Research shows that 90% of patients prefer providers who use the newest technology, which extends beyond the exam room. These patients expect password-free online scheduling, check-in kiosks similar to what they encounter at airports and advanced payment features. The practices that fail to meet these expectations risk losing them to competitors who provide the modern experience this demographic demands.
The Financial Implications of Failing to Adapt
Beyond patient satisfaction, there’s a direct financial impact to ignoring younger patient preferences. When practices rely on outdated registration processes that require extensive staff interaction, they create bottlenecks that slow patient throughput and increase labor costs. Manual data entry also increases error rates, leading to insurance verification issues and claim denials that directly impact revenue.
Top-performing orthopedic practices are implementing patient-centric platforms that put the control in patients’ hands. These solutions allow patients to complete intake forms, scan insurance cards and pay on the spot, freeing staff to focus on higher-value interactions and increasing collections prior to care.
Patients appreciate the conveniences as practices report adoption rates as high as 96% for self-service kiosks. Additionally, in many cases over 95% of these patients are making their payments at the kiosk, with one practice leader sharing, “We’ve always put strong emphasis on collecting at check-in and making sure it’s accurate, because it comes full circle. The kiosks help make it happen, and patients are more willing to pay when they can see it right there on the screen. It’s nice that they can pay privately, it’s more personable for our patients and helps our staff avoid those awkward conversations.”
Patient-led solutions meet patients where they already are, using interfaces and workflows that feel familiar from their everyday digital experiences. Traditional tools, on the other hand, often require patients to adapt to healthcare’s unique (and often outdated) processes, creating friction that impacts both satisfaction and collections.
Trend 2: AI Advancements Are Delivering Efficiency at Scale
While demographic shifts are changing who walks through your doors, artificial intelligence is transforming what happens before, during and after those visits. The AI revolution in healthcare is already here, and orthopedic practices that fail to leverage these tools are leaving significant efficiency gains on the table.
An impressive 78% of specialists have identified AI as the most transformative upcoming trend, and for good reason. AI-driven tools are already demonstrating measurable impact across multiple areas of practice operations, from scheduling to patient education to revenue cycle management.
Real-World AI Applications Delivering Measurable Results
The most impactful AI implementations in orthopedic practices are solutions addressing everyday operational challenges.
Busy practices are using AI-driven booking tools to migrate phone traffic away from overwhelmed staff, improving both accuracy and patient acquisition. These systems can handle routine scheduling requests 24/7, ensuring that potential patients can book appointments even outside office hours.
Call centers serving orthopedic practices have implemented AI-driven schedulingplatforms that reduce agent training time by 86%, allowing new staff to become productive far more quickly. These results address one of the most persistent challenges in healthcare operations: the time and cost required to bring new team members up to speed on complex scheduling rules, insurance requirements and provider preferences.
Another important thing to consider: practices are seeing significant results using AI-driven solutions to improve patient education around premium services.
Chad Jackson, Regional VP of CompEye and Administrator at partner practice Texan Eye, shares:
“Our premium IOL conversion rate has increased dramatically. The major driver behind that growth is the AI-powered educational videos. It’s a one-and-done action from our providers that continues to pay off through automation and AI.”
This approach helped CompEye increase premium service conversion rates from 29% to 51%, a 76% boost, demonstrating how AI-driven patient education campaigns can help practices communicate the value of enhanced surgical options or specialized treatments more effectively than manual outreach ever could.
Time Savings and Revenue Impact
Consider the typical orthopedic practice phone workflow. Every call requires staff time to answer, verify patient information, check provider availability, explain procedures and confirm insurance coverage. When AI handles routine scheduling inquiries, it eliminates entire categories of interruptions that prevent front desk staff from focusing on patients who are physically present in the office.
The financial case for AI adoption becomes clear when you quantify the time savings. Practices implementing AI-driven scheduling logic have saved between 500 and 1,500 hours per year, time that can be redirected toward patient care, insurance verification, or revenue cycle activities that directly impact the bottom line.
Practices that fail to capture similar gains risk falling behind competitors who are already leveraging AI to optimize both revenue and operations.
Preparing Your Orthopedic Practice for 2026 and Beyond
Success requires a thoughtful evaluation of your current patient journey, identifying friction points that frustrate patients and slow staff productivity. It also means being willing to question long-standing processes that may have worked for previous patient generations but create obstacles for today’s tech-savvy demographic.
Thousands of orthopedic patients interact with Clearwave every day to book appointments, check-in, make payments and learn about new treatments available to them. Top-performing orthopedic practices are capitalizing on this high adoption, driving faster payments and 5-star patient reviews.
Ready to see how top-performing orthopedic practices are tackling critical 2026 trends? Download our complete guide: 5 Trends Orthopedic Practices Can’t Ignore in 2026 to discover actionable strategies for every challenge facing your practice this year.