Physician empathy and subjective evaluation of medical treatment outcome in trauma surgery patients.

Objective: To analyze whether patients' perception of their medical treatment outcome is higher among patients who experienced a higher empathy by trauma surgeons during their stay in hospital.

Methods: 127 patients were surveyed six weeks after discharge from the trauma surgical general ward. Subjective evaluation of medical treatment outcome was measured with the corresponding scale from the Cologne Patient Questionnaire.

Direct, indirect, and intangible costs after severe trauma up to occupational reintegration - an empirical analysis of 113 seriously injured patients.

Aim: Although seriously injured patients account for a high medical as well as socioeconomic burden of disease in the German health care system, there are only very few data describing the costs that arise between the days of accident and occupational reintegration. With this study, a comprehensive cost model is developed that describes the direct, indirect and intangible costs of an accident and their relationship with socioeconomic background of the patients.

Methods: This study included 113 patients who each had at least two injuries and a total Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) greater than or equal to five.

The association between psychosocial care by physicians and patients' trust: a retrospective analysis of severely injured patients in surgical intensive care units.

Aim: Trust is an essential element in physician-patient interaction fostering in general adherence and improving patient- and physician-reported outcomes. Regarding severely injured patients, trust-building behaviour is important because of the severity of injuries and therefore potential associated physical and psychological consequences. The objective of this study was to identify significant and relevant determinants on trust of severely injured patients in their physicians in surgical intensive care units.

Neuropsychological profiles in MCI and in depression: Differential cognitive dysfunction patterns or similar final common pathway disorder?

The concept of "mild cognitive impairment" (MCI) refers to alterations in cognition in the transition between normal aging and dementia. However, from a neuropsychological point of view the conventional diagnostic criteria appear not sufficiently valid. In particular, it is still difficult to differentiate between subjects with MCI and subjects with depression plus cognitive deficits on the basis of their neuropsychological profiles.