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Faculty Advisors

Rowlett, Maria

Description

Physical rehabilitation is an important part of a patient’s recovery after surgery. Physical therapists are crucial to the success of that patient’s healing process. Physical rehabilitation can determine how quickly the patient’s healing progresses. It is difficult to determine how long a person will be in rehab and every patient has different expectations of how long their recovery will take. In this study, I explored how a patient’s perception of time affects the estimated versus actual recovery time post-surgery. The participants were patients admitted to the inpatient rehab at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain, Ohio. Each patient was assessed on their perception of time as well as their expected recovery time compared to their actual recovery time. All patients were surveyed and placed on the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory subscale. I was seeking to determine if there is a strong relationship between a patient’s perception of time and how long they expect their recovery to take. As a result of this study, it was found that there was a negative correlation between a patient’s perception of time and how long they expected their recovery to take. Further, those who scored Present Hedonistic on the Zimbardo’s subscale, showed a significantly negative correlation with a patient’s expected time of recovery. This study is relevant because the results may aide in physical therapist treatment strategies. If a physical therapist knows how the patient perceives their time, they can alter their treatment skills to help them heal more efficiently.

Publication Date

2018

College

College of Sciences and Health Professions

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

Psychiatry and Psychology

Student Publication

This item is part of the McNair Scholars Program.

Perception of Time and Post-Surgery Physical Rehabilitation

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