title: Predicting recovery from whiplash injury in the primary care setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effect of expectation of recovery on the recovery rate of whiplash patients in the primary care setting is not known.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whiplash patients were assessed in a primary care setting within 1 week of their collision for their expectations of recovery and were re-examined 3 months later for recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initial expectations of recovery predicted recovery. According to adjusted odds ratios, subjects who expected 'to get better slowly' had a recovery rate that was nearly 1.9 times that of subjects with poor recovery expectations. Subjects who expected 'to get better soon' had a recovery rate that was 2.6 times greater than either of those with poor recovery expectations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the primary care setting, asking patients with whiplash about their expectations of recovery is a useful predictor of their outcome.
authors.affiliation: MD, FRCPC, FACP, is Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, Research Transition Facility, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferrari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010465:Perception; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013997:Time Factors; D014911:Whiplash Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult