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First Step toward Patient-Centered Rehab

There is a shift happening in the world of orthopedic care. Those in the field call it a shift toward a "patient-centered" approach. This means that what patients need and expect from medical care is becoming more important. Reports have shown that patients who are more involved in their care tend to follow rehab programs better and have better outcomes.

These authors wanted to find out more about which patients are most satisfied with their care. They looked at the records of almost 8,000 patients. The records came from hospitals all over the country. All patients had a knee or hip replaced or a hip or leg fracture. They all had rehab in the hospital.

Not surprisingly, the results showed that patients who had better function were happier with their care. Patients who were older also tended to be more satisfied. Patients who did not speak English or who had to check back into the hospital were generally less happy.

This study raises more questions than it answers. For example, does poor function cause patients to become unhappy with their care? Or does a bad attitude about rehab from the beginning mean that patients don't follow the rehab programs well?

The authors note that measuring patient satisfaction is tricky. This research is only the first step to understanding what makes patients feel like they are getting good medical care. And that will be the first step in truly making rehab "patient centered."

References: Melodee Mancuso, PhD, et al. Satisfaction with Medical Rehabilitation in Patients with Orthopedic Impairment. In Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. September 2003. Vol. 84. No. 9. Pp. 1343-1349.

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