An exploration of information exchange by adolescents and parents participating in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis online support groups.

Background: Research indicates that healthcare providers frequently fail to adequately address patients' health information needs. Therefore, it is not surprising that patients or parents of a sick child are seeking health information on the internet, in particular in online support groups (OSGs). In order to improve our understanding of the unmet health information needs of families dealing with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), this study assessed and compared the types of information that adolescents and parents are seeking in OSGs.

Body Image and Quality of Life and Brace Wear Adherence in Females With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Background: Clinical evidence regarding the ability of braces to decrease the risk of curve progression to surgical threshold in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) continues to strengthen. Unfortunately, there is still a great deal of uncertainty regarding the impact of brace wear on psychosocial well-being or the impact of psychological well-being on brace wear adherence. The purpose of this study is to evaluate psychosocial well-being, in particular body image and quality of life (QOL), and brace wear adherence in female AIS patients undergoing brace treatment.

Body Image and Quality-of-Life in Untreated Versus Brace-Treated Females With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Study Design: The Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Trial (BrAIST) included skeletally immature high-risk patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with moderate curve sizes (20°- 40°). BrAIST was a multicenter, controlled trial using both randomized and preference treatment arms into either an observation group or a brace treatment group.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze and compare body image and quality-of-life (QOL) in female AIS patients who were observed or treated with a brace.

Disclosure strategies, social support, and quality of life in infertile women.

Study Question: Do the strategies women use to disclose information about their infertility to social network members impact the quality of the support they receive and their quality of life?

Summary Answer: The data showed that women who disclosed infertility-related information in direct ways, rather than in indirect ways (e.g. by incremental disclosures or through third parties), to social network members perceived higher quality support and reported greater quality of life related to their infertility experience.

Open versus arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a comparative view of 96 cases.

Purpose: This study was performed to review and compare the outcome of a consecutive series of 96 rotator cuff repairs performed with an open versus arthroscopic technique. The arthroscopic repairs include the beginning of the learning curve.

Type Of Study: Case series.