The Effect of Patient Optimism & Pessimism on Recovery From Elective Cardiac Surgery

Before a heart operation, patient outlook may be either pessimistic or optimistic. Previous research on this topic has focused on patient reported quality of life but has never examined measurable clinical outcomes such as length of hospital stay.This pilot study hopes to establish whether patient outlook (optimistic or pessimistic) before a heart operation can influence recovery and length of hospital stay. If there is a difference, then a case can be made for providing psychological support before an operation in the hope of modifying outlook and thus improving patient care and reducing hospital stay and NHS costs. Patients will be recruited over a 12month period. Their outlook (pessimistic or optimistic) will be ascertained using two standardised questionnaires. Their recovery and length of stay will be recorded. The study will answer the research question and determine whether outlook has an impact on recovery. Depending on the results, this study could provide opportunities for additional future research into modifying outlook with a view to improving patient care and recovery.