Arthritis care and research : the official journal of the Arthritis Health Professions Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Preoperative education for total hip and knee replacement patients.
Psychoeducational preparation is known to improve postoperative outcome. We tested two common psychoeducational procedures in elderly orthopedic patients, examining how best to match interventions to patients by psychological type. ⋯ The importance of attending to the patient's psychological state and level of preparation before orthopedic surgery is reinforced. Patients who exhibit most denial and highest anxiety may benefit from educational interventions, but patients' directly expressing desire for information may be a poor guide in deciding which patients would benefit, compared with more formal psychological testing for denial and anxiety.