Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Pages: 781-792

Journal: Psychology, Health and Medicine

Volume number: 25

Issue number: 7

ISSN: 1354-8506

eISSN: 1465-3966

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2019.1659986

Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group

Abstract: 
The aim of this study was to investigate not only preoperative expectations (as shown previously), but also postoperative expectations of patients predict clinical outcomes six months after cardiac surgery. Furthermore, the study sought to examine illness behavior as a possible pathway through which expectations may affect postoperative well-being. Seventy patients scheduled for cardiac surgery were examined one day before surgery, similar to 7-10 days after surgery, and six months after surgery. Regression analyses indicated that disability at follow-up (primary outcome) was significantly predicted by postoperative (beta = -.342, p = .008), but not by preoperative expectations (beta = -.213, p = .069). Similar results were found for the secondary outcomes, i.e. quality of life and depressive symptoms. A bootstrapped mediation analysis showed that although both postoperative expectations and illness behavior had significant unique effects on disability, there was no significant mediation effect. While previous studies have mainly focused on patients' preoperative expectations, the present is the first to emphasize the predictive value of patients' expectations a few days after surgery, pointing to the potential of interventions targeting postoperative expectations. However, given the non-significant results of the mediation analysis, it remains unclear how exactly patients' expectations affect clinical outcomes in cardiac surgery.

Harvard Citation style: Kube, T., Meyer, J., Grieshaber, P., Moosdorf, R., Boening, A. and Rief, W. (2020) Patients' pre- and postoperative expectations as predictors of clinical outcomes six months after cardiac surgery, Psychology, Health and Medicine, 25(7), pp. 781-792. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2019.1659986

APA Citation style: Kube, T., Meyer, J., Grieshaber, P., Moosdorf, R., Boening, A., & Rief, W. (2020). Patients' pre- and postoperative expectations as predictors of clinical outcomes six months after cardiac surgery. Psychology, Health and Medicine. 25(7), 781-792. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2019.1659986