title: Influence of interpersonal traits on patient outcomes in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis.
abstract: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) measure health states in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and have become the dominant metrics of treatment outcomes. Interpersonal traits (IPTs) are patient-specific factors that include personality type, perceived social support, and trust in physicians. The association of IPTs on treatment outcomes among patients with CRS has not been described previously, and IPTs may represent major clinical factors influencing treatment outcomes.
  
  
  
  Adult patients electing medical or surgical treatment for recalcitrant CRS were prospectively enrolled into a multi-institutional, observational outcomes study. Validated measures of IPTs, including the Big Five Inventory-10 Short Version (BFI-10), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Trust in Physician Scale (TPS), were completed and compared with PROMs, which included the 22-item SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-6D (SF-6D), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2).
  
  
  
  Three hundred fifty-four participants were included and followed for an average (± standard deviation) of 16.3 (±4.8) months. Significant within-subject improvement in mean PROM scores was reported (all p <0.001). No association was detected between PROM score improvement and baseline BFI-10 or MSPSS scores (p > 0.050). Significant, but weak, absolute correlations were reported between baseline TPS scores and improvement in SNOT-22, SF-6D, and PHQ-2 total scores (p < 0.050; r ≤ 0.138).
  
  
  
  Personality type and perceived social support do not associate with improvement after treatment for CRS. However, increased trust in physicians is weakly associated with greater posttreatment improvement. Further study is needed to examine the relationship between physician trust, patient satisfaction, and treatment outcomes among patients with CRS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Joshua M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR.
authors.forename: Jess C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mace
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR.
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: Zachary M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Soler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000071066:Patient Reported Outcome Measures; D010551:Personality; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D066107:Social Skills; D012944:Social Support; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D035502:Trust
keywords: chronic disease; endoscopy; patient outcome assessment; personality; sinusitis; sociological factors; trust