Does how the patient feels matter? A prospective observational study of the outcome of acutely ill medical patients who feel their condition has improved on their first re-assessment after admission to hospital.

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Does how the patient feels matter? A prospective observational study of the outcome of acutely ill medical patients who feel their condition has improved on their first re-assessment after admission to hospital.

QJM. 2017 Apr 11;:

Authors: Opio MO, Mutiibwa G, Kellett J, Brabrand M, Kitovu Hospital Study Group

Abstract
Background: although asking how a patient feels is the first enquiry most clinicians make the value of the answer has never been examined in acutely ill patients.
Methods: prospective observational study that compared the predictive value of how well acutely ill medical patients felt after admission to a resource poor sub-Saharan hospital with their mental alertness, mobility, and vital signs.
Results: : 403 patients were studied. Patients who felt better when re-assessed 18.0 SD 9.1 hours after admission to hospital were less likely to die in hospital (OR 0.18 95% CI 0.08 - 0.43, p 0.00001) and more likely to be independent of others at discharge (OR 5.64 95% CI 3.04 - 10.47, p 0.00001). Feeling better was an independent predictor of in-hospital death along with vital sign changes and gait stability, and an independent predictor of independence at discharge along with vital sign changes, gait stability and female gender.
Conclusion: in this patient cohort a subjective feeling of improvement at the first re-assessment after admission to hospital is a powerful independent predictor of reduced in-hospital mortality.

PMID: 28402554 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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