Vienna launches online portal to streamline hip and knee replacement bookings

A web-based registration portal for artificial hip and knee joint surgeries is now live for Vienna residents, covering operations carried out by the WIGEV health network and the Vinzenz clinics. Users must have a specialist referral and a primary address in Vienna, and can select a preferred hospital during registration. The platform promises a three-click process and has already issued appointments during its trial phase.

Authorities project that up to 4,000 surgeries annually could be coordinated this way, potentially cutting the number of patients who need to appear at hospitals for scheduling by about 1,500. While the exact surgery date is set after an outpatient consultation, the system has shortened initial appointments to within 21 days, and may further reduce overall waiting times that have fallen from roughly 18 months to a maximum of nine months.