Guided IMagery and Patient Satisfaction (GIMPS) Following Urogynecological Surgery
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Women's Studies |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Reproductive |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 21 - Any |
| Updated: | 3/2/2017 |
| Start Date: | June 2014 |
| End Date: | December 2016 |
Guided IMagery and Patient Satisfaction Following Urogynecological Surgery
We hypothesize that women who use GIM pre-operatively will feel more prepared for surgery,
have less anxiety on the day of surgery and have higher satisfaction scores 6 weeks after
surgery compared to women who undergo our routine pre-operative care.
have less anxiety on the day of surgery and have higher satisfaction scores 6 weeks after
surgery compared to women who undergo our routine pre-operative care.
Guided imagery (GIM) is a program of directed thoughts and suggestions that guide your
imagination to a relaxed and focused state. In clinical settings, it was originally found
effective in treating patients suffering primarily from emotional or psychological issues by
using descriptive language and the five senses to help the patient visualize their desired
change or outcome (1, 2). More recently, GIM has been incorporated into chemotherapy and
surgical settings. While it has not been conclusively found to improve outcomes, patients
who received GIM reported feeling less anxious, less nausea following chemotherapy, slightly
shorter surgical recovery times and a higher quality of life (3-8). While these studies
suggest exciting prospects for the incorporation of GIM into the normal pre-op routine, we
believe that they have left out one integral piece of the puzzle. We have previously found
that patients who feel "unprepared" for surgery have less post-operative satisfaction (9).
We propose that the stress and anxiety of the unknown during a patient's surgical experience
can make them feel unprepared for surgery. Therefore, the same techniques that have been
previously shown to decrease these symptoms in chemotherapy treatment and surgery should
help patients feel more prepared, and therefore more satisfied with their surgical
experience. This key finding would give sufficient support for the incorporation of GIM into
the pre-op routine of any surgical patient, and may prove to be a successful vehicle for
increasing the overall satisfaction of any hospital's patient population.
imagination to a relaxed and focused state. In clinical settings, it was originally found
effective in treating patients suffering primarily from emotional or psychological issues by
using descriptive language and the five senses to help the patient visualize their desired
change or outcome (1, 2). More recently, GIM has been incorporated into chemotherapy and
surgical settings. While it has not been conclusively found to improve outcomes, patients
who received GIM reported feeling less anxious, less nausea following chemotherapy, slightly
shorter surgical recovery times and a higher quality of life (3-8). While these studies
suggest exciting prospects for the incorporation of GIM into the normal pre-op routine, we
believe that they have left out one integral piece of the puzzle. We have previously found
that patients who feel "unprepared" for surgery have less post-operative satisfaction (9).
We propose that the stress and anxiety of the unknown during a patient's surgical experience
can make them feel unprepared for surgery. Therefore, the same techniques that have been
previously shown to decrease these symptoms in chemotherapy treatment and surgery should
help patients feel more prepared, and therefore more satisfied with their surgical
experience. This key finding would give sufficient support for the incorporation of GIM into
the pre-op routine of any surgical patient, and may prove to be a successful vehicle for
increasing the overall satisfaction of any hospital's patient population.
Inclusion Criteria:
- routine vaginal or laparoscopic surgery for pelvic organ prolapse planned ≥ 1 week
from enrollment
- a planned overnight hospital stay
- commitment to listen to a 15 minute audio Compact Disc daily
- proficiency in English.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Not having routine vaginal or laparoscopic surgery for pelvic organ prolapse planned
≥ 1 week from enrollment
- Not a planned overnight hospital stay
- Unable to commitment to listen to a 15 minute audio Compact Disc daily
- Not proficiency in English.
We found this trial at
1
site
Loyola University Medical Center Loyola University Health System is committed to excellence in patient care...
Click here to add this to my saved trials
