Feedback to Patients About Patient-reported Outcomes Does Not Improve Empowerment or Satisfaction.

Background: Although patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are helpful to define whether an intervention has improved a patient's status in ways the patient feels are important, they may also serve an empowering educational role; specifically, sharing a patient's scores might help the patient understand his or her progress during treatment. However, whether sharing PROM scores in this way improves the sense of empowerment or satisfaction with the process of care has not been well explored. Also, less is known whether specific demographic factors or coping strategies are associated with empowerment.

The Prevalence of Unanticipated Hamate Hook Abnormalities in Computed Tomography Scans: A Retrospective Study.

Background: It is possible that some hamate hook fractures are not diagnosed or treated, thereby affecting the study of their natural history. Study of the prevalence of incidental hamate hook fractures, nonunions, and other abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) ordered for another reason could document a subset of undiagnosed and untreated hamate hook fractures which might change our understanding about the natural history.

Methods: Reports of 2489 hand, wrist, and forearm CT scans for hamate hook abnormalities were searched.

Association Between Opioid Intake and Disability After Surgical Management of Ankle Fractures.

Background: Opioid-centric pain management strategies have created an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse. This study assesses whether opioid intake is associated with disability, satisfaction with treatment, and pain at the time of suture removal and at 5 to 8 months after suture removal following open reduction and internal fixation of ankle fractures.

Methods: We enrolled 102 adult patients in the study at the time of suture removal, 59 of whom were available for follow-up at 5 to 8 months.

Patient Complaints Emphasize Non-Technical Aspects of Care at a Tertiary Referral Hospital.

Background: Patient concerns represent opportunities for improvement in orthopaedic care. This study's objective is to identify the nature and prevalence of unsolicited patient complaints regarding orthopaedic care at a tertiary referral hospital. The primary null hypothesis that there are no demographic factors associated with complaint types was tested.

The Correlation Between a Numerical Rating Scale of Patient Satisfaction With Current Management of an Upper Extremity Disorder and a General Measure of Satisfaction With the Medical Visit.

Patient satisfaction is used as an indicator of quality of care, but the measures currently available are lengthy and cumbersome and may not be feasible in orthopedic surgical practices. We set out to assess the relationship between the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale (MISS-21) and a numerical rating scale (NRS) of patient satisfaction with current management of an orthopedic upper extremity condition. In this cross-sectional study, 86 patients from the practices of 2 hand surgeons were included during an initial or follow-up visit.

Assessment of Decisional Conflict about the Treatment of Trigger Finger, Comparing Patients and Physicians.

Background: As an early step in the development of a decision aid for idiopathic trigger finger (TF) we were interested in the level of decisional conflict experienced by patients and hand surgeons. This study tested the null hypothesis that there is no difference in decisional conflict between patients with one or more idiopathic trigger fingers and hand surgeons. Secondary analyses address the differences between patients and surgeons regarding the influence of the DCS-subcategories on the level of decisional conflict, as well as the influence of patient and physician demographics, the level of self-efficacy, and satisfaction with care on decisional conflict.

Factors associated with pain intensity and physical limitations after lateral ankle sprains.

Background: Swelling, tenderness, and ecchymosis don't correlate with time to functional recovery in patients with a lateral ankle sprain. It is established that psychosocial factors such as symptoms of depression and low pain self-efficacy correlate with pain intensity and magnitude of limitations in patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Objective: We studied the correlation between pain self-efficacy or symptoms of depression and (1) ankle specific limitations and (2) pain intensity in patients with a lateral ankle sprain.

Progression of Heterotopic Ossification around the Elbow after Trauma.

Background: This study addresses the null hypothesis that there is no expansion of heterotopic ossification (HO) in the elbow beyond what can be seen early on.

Methods: The area of HO was measured on lateral radiographs of 38 consecutive patients that had operative treatment of HO between 2000 and 2013. Measurements from radiographs obtained between 3 to 7 weeks were compared to measurements from radiographs made 3 months or more after injury.

Discrete Pathophysiology is Uncommon in Patients with Nonspecific Arm Pain.

Background: Nonspecific symptoms are common in all areas of medicine. Patients and caregivers can be frustrated when an illness cannot be reduced to a discrete pathophysiological process that corresponds with the symptoms. We therefore asked the following questions: 1) Which demographic factors and psychological comorbidities are associated with change from an initial diagnosis of nonspecific arm pain to eventual identification of discrete pathophysiology that corresponds with symptoms? 2) What is the percentage of patients eventually diagnosed with discrete pathophysiology, what are those pathologies, and do they account for the symptoms?

Methods: We evaluated 634 patients with an isolated diagnosis of nonspecific upper extremity pain to see if discrete pathophysiology was diagnosed on subsequent visits to the same hand surgeon, a different hand surgeon, or any physician within our health system for the same pain.

Do patients prefer optional follow-up for simple upper extremity fractures: A pilot study.

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate the results of offering patients optional follow-up for simple upper extremity fractures. Specifically this study tested if there is a difference in (1) upper extremity disability, (2) return to work, and (3) satisfaction with delivered care at 2-6 months after enrollment between patients who choose and do not choose a return visit for an adequately aligned metacarpal, distal radius, or radial head fracture. Additionally we assessed if there was a difference in overall evaluation of the visit at enrollment between those patients and what factors were associated with returning after initially choosing not to schedule a follow-up visit.

Assessment of Decisional Conflict about the Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, Comparing Patients and Physicians.

Background: As part of the process of developing a decision aid for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) according to the Ottawa Decision Support Framework, we were interested in the level of 'decisional conflict' of hand surgeons and patients with CTS. This study addresses the null hypothesis that there is no difference between surgeon and patient decisional conflict with respect to test and treatment options for CTS. Secondary analyses assess the impact of patient and physician demographics and the strength of the patient-physician relationship on decisional conflict.

The effect of a decision aid on informed decision-making in the era of non-invasive prenatal testing: a randomised controlled trial.

Early in pregnancy women and their partners face the complex decision on whether or not to participate in prenatal testing for fetal chromosomal abnormalities. Several studies show that the majority of pregnant women currently do not make informed decisions regarding prenatal testing. As the range of prenatal tests is expanding due to the development of new techniques such as non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), autonomous reproductive decision-making is increasingly challenging.

Is Social Support Associated With Upper Extremity Disability?

Background: Pain intensity and disability correlate with psychosocial factors such as depression and pain interference (the degree to which pain interferes with activities of daily living) as much or more than pathophysiology in upper extremity illness. However, other factors like emotional support (perception of being cared for and valued as a person), instrumental support (perception of availability of tangible assistance when needed), positive psychosocial impact (perception and focus on the positive side of a difficult situation, sometimes characterized as posttraumatic growth, benefit-finding, or meaning making), also might be associated with disability in patients with upper extremity orthopaedic illness. This is the first published study, to our knowledge, addressing the potential association of emotional support, instrumental support, and positive psychosocial illness impact with disability in patients with upper extremity illness.

Factors Associated With Met Expectations in Patients With Hand and Upper Extremity Disorders: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: The degree to which patients' expectations are met during an office visit consistently correlates with patients' satisfaction, whereas the relationship between previsit expectations and satisfaction varies.

Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to preliminarily assess the relationship of psychosocial factors, pain intensity, and magnitude of disability to previsit expectations, met expectations, and satisfaction with medical care in patients with hand and upper extremity conditions in a surgical outpatient clinic.

Methods: A cohort of 85 outpatients with upper extremity illnesses indicated their previsit expectations (Patients Intention Questionnaire), degree to which these expectations were met (Expectations Met Questionnaire), level of depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-2), confidence about the ability to achieve one's goals in spite of pain (Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire), pain intensity (Numerical Rating Scale for pain), disability (Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand, short version; QuickDASH), and satisfaction with the medical visit (Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale).

Facing the decision about the treatment of hip or knee osteoarthritis: What are patients' needs?

Purpose: There is an increasing interest in modern orthopaedic practice to empower patients to participate in shared decision-making. Decision aids are thought to be helpful in this process. Before creating decision aids for patients with osteoarthritis in the knee or hip, the goal was to identify the needs of patients and physicians when deciding about the treatment.

Acute Median Neuropathy and Carpal Tunnel Release in Perilunate Injuries Can We Predict Who Gets a Median Neuropathy?

Unlabelled: This study addressed the following null hypotheses: 1) There are no demographic differences between patients with perilunate dislocation (PLD) or fracture-dislocation (PLFD); 2) There are no factors associated with the development of median nerve symptoms in the setting of a PLD or PLFD; and 3) There are no factors associated with carpal tunnel release. Using a retrospective search of a prospective trauma database, we identified all patients who had sustained a radiologically confirmed PLD or PLFD over a 10-year period at two trauma centers. From the medical records we identified median nerve symptoms and carpal tunnel release in addition to demographic and injury characteristics.

Quantitative three-dimensional computed tomography analysis of glenoid fracture patterns according to the AO/OTA classification.

Hypothesis/background: This study measures the characteristics of glenoid fractures to determine if the AO Foundation and Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification captures the most common fracture patterns. The primary null hypothesis was that surface area and degree of fragmentation do not differ among the different fracture types. Secondarily, we tested if there was a relationship between high- vs.

Internet self-diagnosis in hand surgery.

Background: Some Internet sites have programs that attempt to help patients find their diagnosis based on symptoms. This study tested the null hypothesis that there are no factors associated with correspondence between online diagnosis and the hand surgeon's diagnosis in an outpatient hand and upper extremity surgeons' office.

Methods: Eighty-six outpatients were prospectively enrolled and used WebMD® symptom checker to guess their diagnosis.

The effect of feedback regarding coping strategies and illness behavior on hand surgery patient satisfaction and communication: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Patients and surgeons can feel uncomfortable discussing coping strategies, psychological distress, and stressful circumstances. It has been suggested that patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) facilitate the discussion of factors associated with increased symptoms and disability. This study assessed the effect of providing feedback to patients regarding their coping strategy and illness behavior on patient satisfaction and patient-physician communication in orthopedic surgery.

Shared Decision-Making in Surgery.

Medical treatment of patients always entails the risk of undesired complications or side effects. This is particularly poignant in surgery as both the disease to be treated and the surgical intervention to be performed can be life threatening. Hence, it is essential to inform a surgical patient in detail about the expectations desired, but also the possible undesired outcomes and complications, especially when new surgical techniques are introduced.

Do Upper Extremity Trauma Patients Have Different Preferences for Shared Decision-making Than Patients With Nontraumatic Conditions?

Background: Shared decision-making is a combination of expertise, available scientific evidence, and the preferences of the patient and surgeon. Some surgeons contend that patients are less capable of participating in decisions about traumatic conditions than nontraumatic conditions.

Questions/purposes: (1) Do patients with nontraumatic conditions have different preferences for shared decision-making when compared with those who sustained acute trauma? (2) Do disability, symptoms of depression, and self-efficacy correlate with preference for shared decision-making?

Methods: In this prospective, comparative trial, we evaluated a total of 133 patients presenting to the outpatient practices of two university-based hand surgeons with traumatic or nontraumatic hand and upper extremity illnesses or conditions.

Quantitative 3-dimensional CT analyses of fractures of the middle phalanx base.

Background: Quantitative 3-dimensional computed tomography (3DCT) analyses can provide a more detailed understanding of fracture morphology. For fracture-dislocation of the proximal interphalangeal joint, the extent of fragmentation of the volar lip of the middle phalanx-a factor that might influence treatment-is not always apparent from radiographs. We hypothesized that there is no correlation between number of fracture fragments and the percentage of articular surface area involved in intra-articular fractures of the base of the middle phalanx using quantitative 3DCT analyses.

Does verbal and nonverbal communication of pain correlate with disability?

Background: Illness (symptoms and disability) consistently correlates more with coping strategies and symptoms of depression than with pathophysiology or impairment.

Objective: This study tested the primary null hypothesis that there is no correlation between verbal and nonverbal communication of pain (pain behavior) and upper extremity-specific disability in patients with hand and upper extremity illness.

Methods: A total of 139 new and followed up adult patients completed the QuickDASH, an ordinal rating of pain, and 4 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Computer Adaptive Testing instruments: (1) PROMIS pain behavior, (2) PROMIS pain interference (measuring the degree to which pain interferes with achieving ones physical goals), (3) PROMIS physical function, and (4) PROMIS depression.

Opioid Use, Satisfaction, and Pain Intensity After Orthopedic Surgery.

Background: Patients in other countries use fewer opioids than patients in the United States with satisfactory pain relief.

Objective: This study tested the null hypothesis that opioid intake after orthopedic surgery does not influence satisfaction with pain management.

Methods: A total of 232 orthopedic surgical inpatients completed measures of pain self-efficacy and symptoms of depression at enrollment and commonly used measures of pain intensity, satisfaction with pain relief, and satisfaction with hospital staff attention to pain approximately 14 days after surgery.

A preliminary RCT of a mind body skills based intervention addressing mood and coping strategies in patients with acute orthopaedic trauma.

Objective: To test the acceptability and feasibility of a mind body skills-based intervention (RRCB) and estimate its preliminary effect in reducing disability and pain intensity as compared to standard care (SC) in patients with acute musculoskeletal trauma.

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Level I trauma centre.