| Abstract: | Objective: To evaluate the effects on patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) of detailed, personalized information about their injuries, acute care treatment, and rehabilitation progress. Participants: Twenty-eight former or present military personnel (mean age = 30 years) with moderate to severe TBI (mean of 29 days spent in intensive care before admission to TBI unit). Design: Two (personalized information vs. general information) × 2 (high- vs. low-patient preference for health care information) factorial design. Interpersonal behavior of patients, information providers, and health care staff were measured by the Impact Message Inventory. Outcome Measures: Rehabilitation Intensity of Therapy Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: Patients given personalized information exerted greater effort in physical therapy, made greater improvement in functional independence, and were more satisfied with rehabilitation treatment. Patient preference for information and ratings of interpersonal behavior were largely unrelated to patient outcomes. Conclusion: Cognitively impaired TBI patients can benefit from interventions designed to enhance their sense of control and personal involvement in their own care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
