: Spine surgery is one of the most common and costly inpatient procedures in the United States with rates increasing dramatically during the past two decades, especially among those greater than 60 years of age or with degenerative conditions of the spine. Recovery following spine surgery is highly variable and cannot be explained by traditionally studied factors. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a challenge to the American health care system to improve the patient-centeredness of healthcare. This challenge arises from the fact that patient-centered care has a profound impact on the way that healthcare is planned, delivered, and evaluated. Recent evidence supports the hypothesis that patient-centered interventions improve outcomes through empowerment of the individual patient. This empowerment can be achieved through increases in self-efficacy and patient activation. This approach is a central tenet of several major intervention programs. This project is the direct extension of our previously funded work investigating the role of patient activation in predicting post-operative health behavior. Having a valid and reliable tool to identify individuals with low patient activation and, therefore, at risk for poor recovery speaks to the need for an intervention strategy. The current proposal seeks to investigate the impact of a brief Health Behavior Change Counseling (HBCC) on patient activation and post-operative health behavior and functional recovery. We plan to enroll two consecutive cohorts of individuals undergoing elective surgery for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine. The first cohort will undergo standard preoperative care. The second cohort will undergo standard pre-operative care with an additional brief HBBC intervention session (a patient-centered directive method for eliciting motivation to change behavior). Both groups will be following for 24 months post-operatively.

Public Health Relevance

The current project seeks to identify and intervene among individuals with low patient activation and, therefore, at risk for poor recovery following spine surgery. Based on recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, this proposal speaks directly to the request that healthcare be delivered in a more patient-centered manner. This project is the logical next step to previous work funded by AHRQ to investigate the role that patient activation plays in post-operative health behavior.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HS017990-04
Application #
8308959
Study Section
Health Care Quality and Effectiveness Research (HQER)
Program Officer
Wittenberg, Kim
Project Start
2009-09-30
Project End
2013-07-31
Budget Start
2012-08-01
Budget End
2013-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Orthopedics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218
Skolasky, Richard L; Scherer, Emily A; Wegener, Stephen T et al. (2018) Does reduction in sciatica symptoms precede improvement in disability and physical health among those treated surgically for intervertebral disc herniation? Analysis of temporal patterns in data from the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial. Spine J 18:1318-1324
Skolasky, Richard L; Maggard, Anica M; Wegener, Stephen T et al. (2018) Telephone-Based Intervention to Improve Rehabilitation Engagement After Spinal Stenosis Surgery: A Prospective Lagged Controlled Trial. J Bone Joint Surg Am 100:21-30
Skolasky, Richard L; Maggard, Anica M; Li, David et al. (2015) Health behavior change counseling in surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. Part I: improvement in rehabilitation engagement and functional outcomes. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 96:1200-7
Skolasky, Richard L; Maggard, Anica M; Li, David et al. (2015) Health behavior change counseling in surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. Part II: patient activation mediates the effects of health behavior change counseling on rehabilitation engagement. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 96:1208-14
Skolasky, Richard L; Wegener, Stephen T; Maggard, Anica M et al. (2014) The impact of reduction of pain after lumbar spine surgery: the relationship between changes in pain and physical function and disability. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 39:1426-32
Young, Arthur K; Young, Benjamin K; Riley 3rd, Lee H et al. (2014) Assessment of presurgical psychological screening in patients undergoing spine surgery: use and clinical impact. J Spinal Disord Tech 27:76-9
Skolasky, Richard L; Riley 3rd, Lee H; Maggard, Anica M et al. (2013) Functional recovery in lumbar spine surgery: a controlled trial of health behavior change counseling to improve outcomes. Contemp Clin Trials 36:207-17
Skolasky, Richard L; Riley 3rd, Lee H; Maggard, Anica M et al. (2012) The relationship between pain and depressive symptoms after lumbar spine surgery. Pain 153:2092-6