TY - JOUR
T1 - Strengthening the patient-provider relationship in the aftermath of physical trauma through an understanding of the nature and severity of posttraumatic concerns
AU - Zatzick, Douglas F.
AU - Russo, Joan
AU - Rajotte, Emily
AU - Uehara, Edwina
AU - Roy-Byrne, Peter
AU - Ghesquire, Angela
AU - Jurkovich, Gregory
AU - Rivara, Frederick
PY - 2007/9/1
Y1 - 2007/9/1
N2 - Few investigations have focused on patients' concerns in the immediate aftermath of physical trauma. A population-based sample of 120 hospitalized injury survivors was recruited and followed over the course of the year after injury. Open-ended, semi-structured items were developed to elicit up to three concerns related to the injury from each hospitalized inpatient. Concern narratives were coded into content domains, and concern severity was assessed. Patients most frequently expressed physical health concerns (68%), followed by work and finance (59%), social (44%), psychological (25%), medical (8%), and legal (5%) concerns. The expression of three severe concerns immediately after the trauma was associated with higher PTSD symptoms levels over the course of the year. Greater initial concern severity independently predicted persistent PTSD symptoms 12 months after the injury (Adjusted Relative Risk = 1.71, 95% Confidence Interval = 1.05, 2.78). Early posttraumatic concerns can be readily elicited and reliably interpreted. Psychological concerns constitute a minority of total concerns after physical trauma, and the presence of greater numbers of severe concerns predicts worsening symptomatic course. Incorporation of posttraumatic concern assessments has the potential to simultaneously strengthen the posttraumatic patient-provider relationship and to link patient-centered evaluation with individual and community-level PTSD and functional outcome evaluations.
AB - Few investigations have focused on patients' concerns in the immediate aftermath of physical trauma. A population-based sample of 120 hospitalized injury survivors was recruited and followed over the course of the year after injury. Open-ended, semi-structured items were developed to elicit up to three concerns related to the injury from each hospitalized inpatient. Concern narratives were coded into content domains, and concern severity was assessed. Patients most frequently expressed physical health concerns (68%), followed by work and finance (59%), social (44%), psychological (25%), medical (8%), and legal (5%) concerns. The expression of three severe concerns immediately after the trauma was associated with higher PTSD symptoms levels over the course of the year. Greater initial concern severity independently predicted persistent PTSD symptoms 12 months after the injury (Adjusted Relative Risk = 1.71, 95% Confidence Interval = 1.05, 2.78). Early posttraumatic concerns can be readily elicited and reliably interpreted. Psychological concerns constitute a minority of total concerns after physical trauma, and the presence of greater numbers of severe concerns predicts worsening symptomatic course. Incorporation of posttraumatic concern assessments has the potential to simultaneously strengthen the posttraumatic patient-provider relationship and to link patient-centered evaluation with individual and community-level PTSD and functional outcome evaluations.
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U2 - 10.1521/psyc.2007.70.3.260
DO - 10.1521/psyc.2007.70.3.260
M3 - Article
C2 - 17937531
AN - SCOPUS:35548973846
VL - 70
SP - 260
EP - 273
JO - Psychiatry
JF - Psychiatry
SN - 0033-2747
IS - 3
ER -