Project description:BackgroundRecent events in health care reform have brought national attention to integrating patient experiences and expectations into quality metrics. Few studies have comprehensively evaluated the effect of patient expectations on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after surgery. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the available literature describing the relationship between patient expectations and postoperative PROs.MethodsWe performed a search of the literature published before November 1, 2012. Articles were included in the review if (1) primary data were presented, (2) patient expectations regarding a surgical procedure were measured, (3) PROs were measured, and (4) the relationship between patient expectations and PROs was specifically examined. PROs were categorized into 5 subgroups: Satisfaction, quality of life (QOL), disability, mood disorder, and pain. We examined each study to determine the relationship between patient expectations and PROs as well as study quality.ResultsFrom the initial literature search yielding 1,708 studies, 60 articles were included. Fulfillment of expectations was associated with improved PROs among 24 studies. Positive expectations were correlated with improved PROs for 28 studies (47%), and poorer PROs for 9 studies (15%). Eighteen studies reported that fulfillment of expectations was correlated with improved patient satisfaction, and 10 studies identified that positive expectations were correlated with improved postoperative. Finally, patients with positive preoperative expectations reported less pain (8 studies) and disability (15 studies) compared with patients with negative preoperative expectations.ConclusionPatient expectations are inconsistently correlated with PROs after surgery, and there is no accepted method to capture perioperative expectations. Future efforts to rigorously measure expectations and explore their influence on postoperative outcomes can inform clinicians and policymakers seeking to integrate PROs into measures of surgical quality.
Project description:STUDY DESIGN: A prospective case series of patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. OBJECTIVE: Is there a correlation between patients' expectations before lumbar surgery, postoperative outcomes, and satisfaction levels? METHODS: A prospective study of 145 patients undergoing primary, single-level surgery for degenerative lumbar conditions was conducted. Oswestry Disability Index, back Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and leg VAS were assessed preoperatively and at 6 weeks and 6 months after surgery. Patients' expectations were measured preoperatively by asking them to score the level of pain and disability that would be least acceptable for them to undergo surgery and be satisfied. Satisfaction was assessed 6 weeks postoperatively with a Likert scale. Differences in patient expectations between actual and expected improvements were quantified. RESULTS: Most patients had a clinically relevant improvement, but only about half achieved their expectations. Satisfaction did not correlate with preoperative pain or disability, or with patient expectation of improvement. Instead, satisfaction correlated with positive outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Patient expectations have little bearing on final outcome and satisfaction. [Table: see text].
Project description:BackgroundSinonasal symptoms and poor quality of life (QOL) prompt chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients to undergo sinus surgery (ESS). However, little is known regarding the symptoms most important to patients and how these impact expectations and postoperative satisfaction.MethodsA prospective, multi-institutional cohort study of 100 CRS patients undergoing ESS completed a novel adaptation of the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) wherein they rated how important it was for specific symptoms to improve after surgery, along with preoperative expectations and postoperative satisfaction. The primary satisfaction measure was whether a patient would choose to undergo endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) again. A multivariate, logistic regression model was built using demographics, objective measures, and the adapted SNOT-22 data. Spearman correlation analysis was also performed.ResultsNasal obstruction was rated as "extremely" or "very" important by 93% of patients, followed by smell/taste, thick nasal discharge, need to blow nose, postnasal discharge, and sleep symptoms (range, 61-72%). Symptoms like sadness and embarrassment were not considered important by preoperative patients (≤28%). In multivariate logistic regression, postoperative satisfaction depended on preoperative expectations being met and ESS improving their most important symptoms (odds rato, 19.6-27.5; p < 0.005). Postoperative satisfaction was not correlated with achieving a minimal clinically important difference, but it was correlated with magnitude of change in SNOT-22 (r = 0.35; p < 0.05).ConclusionsNasal, smell, and sleep-related symptoms were consdidered most important by this cohort. Meeting of preoperative expectations, improvement of the most important symptoms, and the magnitude of change in the SNOT-22 may drive postoperative satisfaction.
Project description:BackgroundPatient expectations can be difficult to conceptualise and are liable to change with time, health and environmental factors. Patient expectation is known to influence satisfaction, however little is known about the expectations of patients attending for podiatric surgery. This paper will explore the expectations of a large cohort of patients undergoing elective foot surgery.MethodsThe UK based podiatric audit of surgery and clinical outcome measurement (PASCOM) audit system was applied to a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing elective podiatric surgery in Doncaster, South Yorkshire between 2004 and 2010. Data was collected relating to the surgical episode and patient expectations. A patient questionnaire was administered at 6 months post intervention.ResultsA total of 2910 unique surgical admissions were completed and satisfaction questionnaires were returned by 1869 patients. A total of 1430 patients answered question 1 which relates to patient expectations. Pain relief was the most frequent expectation with 1191 counts (52.3%), while footwear and mobility accounted for 16.6% and 16.4% respectively. Cosmesis counts occurred less commonly; 12.2%. 709 patients (49.6%) stated only a single expectation, 599 patients (41.9%) stated two expectations, 114 patients (8%) stated three expectations and 7 patients (0.5%) stated 4 expectations. Pain relief was the dominant expectation accounting for 515 counts (72.6%) of patients who provided only one response.ConclusionsThis paper demonstrates the expectations of a large cohort of podiatric surgery patients. For the most part patients expect pain relief, improved mobility and improved shoe fitting, while a small number of patients also expect a cosmetic improvement. Further research is required to determine the relationship between patient expectation and health related quality of life, and to determine whether podiatric surgery is successful in addressing the expectations of patients.
Project description:BackgroundWhen discussing potential treatment with patients choosing to undergo surgery for disruption of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and their families, surgeons spend considerable time discussing expectations of the short- and long-term health of the knee. Most of the research examining patient expectations in orthopedic surgery has focused largely on arthroplasty.Questions/purposesThe purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess the differences between the patient's and the surgeon's expectations before primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).MethodsIn this case series, we prospectively enrolled 93 patients scheduled for primary ACLR between 2011 and 2014. Expectations were measured using the Hospital for Special Surgery 23-item Knee Expectations Survey; scores were calculated for each subject.ResultsIn all but six categories, patients had expectations that either aligned with their surgeons' or were lower. The largest discordance between surgeon and patient expectations in which the patient had lower expectations was employment; 75% of patients had similar expectations to the surgeon when asked if the knee would be "back to the way it was before the problem started," less than 1% had higher expectations, and 17% had lower expectations.ConclusionIn general, patient expectations align well with surgeon expectations. Patients who are older, have a lower activity level, and who have selected allograft over autograft for ACLR could also be at risk for greater discordance. Understanding these differences, and their predictors, will help guide physicians when they are counseling patients about ACLR and also help them interact with patients after surgery as they assess outcomes.
Project description:It is important for surgeons to understand patients' expectations for surgery. We asked whether patient factors and preoperative functional outcome scores reflect the degree of expectations patients have for posterior spinal surgery. Second, we asked whether patients' expectations for surgery predict improvements in functional outcome scores after surgery. We prospectively enrolled 155 consecutive surgical patients with greater than 90% followup. Patients' expectations were evaluated preoperatively along with SF-36 and Oswestry disability questionnaires. Postoperatively (6 months for decompression; 1 year for fusions), we quantified patient-derived satisfaction regarding whether expectations were met and by patient-derived functional outcome scores. In patients undergoing decompression, gender, SF-36 general health domain, and SF-36 physical component score predicted patients with high expectations for surgery. Patients with high expectations also reported greater postoperative improvements in SF-36 role physical domain scores after surgery. Expectations for surgery were met in 81% of patients. In a subset of patients (21 of 143), expectations were not met. These patients reported lower mean preoperative SF-36 general health, vitality, and mean mental component scores.
Project description:Obesity and its complications, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver, are serious global public health problems. Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) can reduce the length and width of the stomach by simulating the anatomical structure of surgical sleeve gastrectomy to reduce the capacity of the stomach, and is safe and effective to reduce weight. ESG has the advantages of non- invasiveness, no gastrectomy, repeatability, simple operation, no incision scar, few complications, short hospital stay and quick postoperative recovery. As an intermediate means of medical treatment and surgery, ESG provides a new method for weight loss for obese patients who cannot tolerate or are unwilling to undergo surgery. Herein we trace the origin of ESG, analyze the unique advantages of ESG suture, explore the technical improvement in the development of ESG, and briefly describe the weight reduction effect of ESG and compare the curative effect of ESG with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. ESG has undergone rapid development and maturity but also faces such challenges as the lack of established standard procedures, unclear weight reduction mechanism, and clarification of the indications for operation. Still, ESG is expected to become the mainstream technique for weight reduction.
Project description:BackgroundPhysicians have dual responsibilities to make medical decisions that serve their patients' best interests but also utilize health care resources wisely. Their ability to practice cost-consciously is particularly challenged when faced with patient expectations or requests for medical services that may be unnecessary.ObjectiveTo understand how physicians consider health care resources and the strategies they use to exercise cost-consciousness in response to patient expectations and requests for medical care.DesignExploratory, qualitative focus groups of practicing physicians were conducted. Participants were encouraged to discuss their perceptions of resource constraints, and experiences with redundant, unnecessary and marginally beneficial services, and were asked about patient requests or expectations for particular services.ParticipantsSixty-two physicians representing a variety of specialties and practice types participated in nine focus groups in Michigan, Ohio, and Minnesota in 2012 MEASUREMENTS: Iterative thematic content analysis of focus group transcriptsPrincipal findingsPhysicians reported making trade-offs between a variety of financial and nonfinancial resources, considering not only the relative cost of medical decisions and alternative services, but the time and convenience of patients, their own time constraints, as well as the logistics of maintaining a successful practice. They described strategies and techniques to educate patients, build trust, or substitute less costly alternatives when appropriate, often adapting their management to the individual patient and clinical environment.ConclusionsPhysicians often make nuanced trade-offs in clinical practice aimed at efficient resource use within a complex flow of clinical work and patient expectations. Understanding the challenges faced by physicians and the strategies they use to exercise cost-consciousness provides insight into policy measures that will address physician's roles in health care resource use.