Mood And Attitude Critical To Patients'
Recovery
July 6, 2006
Refraining from worry, anxiety and other negative moods and adopting a positive
attitude are paramount to an orthopaedic patient's physical surgery outcome and
recovery speed, according to a new review article published in the July 2006
issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The
article, based on a review of 29 studies of adult patients during a 15-year
period (between 1990 and 2004), asserts that psychosocial factors -- the blend
of psychological and social factors that potentially shape health, illness and
disease -- are an important predictor of a patient's surgical recovery.
"We found that the role psychosocial factors play in surgical recovery was
even bigger than we expected," said Peter Jokl, MD, orthopaedic surgeon,
professor, department of orthopaedics and rehabilitation, Yale University School
of Medicine, and co-author of the article. "Assessing a patient's mood and
attitude may now give orthopaedic surgeons a better forecast in determining
recovery."
In determining a patient's outcome, the article's authors developed a short
series of questions and topics for the physician and patient to discuss.
Questions about the existence (if any) of anxiety or depression, post-surgery
expectations and level of confidence in pain management not only facilitate
valuable dialogue between the patient and physician, but also create a
partnership or team dynamic between the patient and the physician -- a key
component of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' Patient-Centered Care
initiative.
"When it comes to recovery, orthopaedic surgeons often consider traditional
clinical factors that influence surgical outcome -- the patient's age, physical
health status or the degree of the injury, for example," said Patricia H.
Rosenberger, PhD, associate research scientist in the Department of Epidemiology
and Public Health at Yale University School of Medicine, and lead author of the
article. "This study went above and beyond those traditional factors and
considered dynamics like stress, depression, social support, self-efficacy and
positive expectations. We found that if a patient's mood and attitude are
evaluated, orthopaedic surgeons can actually determine how a patient might
physically recover and return to their normal daily activities."
According to Dr. Rosenberger, patients and physicians should recognize that
recovery from surgery has many dynamics. "Psychosocial factors play a large
role in a patient's physical surgical outcomes, not just their quality of
life," she said.
An orthopaedic surgeon is a physician with extensive training in the diagnosis
and non-surgical as well as surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system
including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.
The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) is a
publication of the 29,000-member American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (
http://www.aaos.org ) or (http://www.orthoinfo.org
), the premier not-for- profit organization that provides education programs for
orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals, champions the interests of
patients and advances the highest quality musculoskeletal health. Orthopaedic
surgeons and the Academy are the authoritative sources of information for
patients and the general public on musculoskeletal conditions, treatments and
related issues. An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy is
participating in the Bone and Joint Decade ( http://www.usbjd.org
) -- the global initiative in the years 2002-2011 -- to raise awareness of
musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life.
Abstracts and full text of the monthly, peer-reviewed JAAOS are available online
at http://www.jaaos.org.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
http://www.aaos.org
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