Expectations of the First Visit to Orofacial Pain Clinic for the Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders

구강안면통증클리닉에 처음 내원한 턱관절장애 환자들의 내원 목표

  • Won, Sang-Yeon (Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Dankook University) ;
  • Kim, Hye-Kyung (Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Dankook University) ;
  • Kim, Mee-Eun (Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Dankook University)
  • 원상연 (단국대학교 치과대학 구강내과학교실) ;
  • 김혜경 (단국대학교 치과대학 구강내과학교실) ;
  • 김미은 (단국대학교 치과대학 구강내과학교실)
  • Received : 2010.12.06
  • Accepted : 2010.12.17
  • Published : 2010.12.30

Abstract

Understanding patients' expectation for health visits and providing appropriate care may increase patients' satisfaction with health care, leading to more positive treatment outcome. The study aimed to investigate expectations of the patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) at their first visit to university-based orofacial pain clinic and to evaluate any relation with duration of pain, presence of previous treatment, pain severity and pain interference. Inclusion criterion was patients aged over and 18 years old and diagnosed as TMD during 3 months' period from Aug to Nov 2010. They were asked to complete the questionnaires for patients' expectation and the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) at waiting room prior to consultation. 322 TMD patients participated in the study(M:F=1:1.5, mean age=36 years old). The study indicated that the most important top 3 expectations were 'cure of pain', 'understanding their problem' and 'doctor-patient communication' in order. This finding was not affected by gender, duration and previous treatment history but affected by sub-category of TMD and BPI pain severity and pain interference. 'Pain relief' and 'understanding their problems' were relatively highlighted in the patients with muscle disorders and combination (joint-muscle) disorders of TMD than those with joint disorders who wanted communication and further investigation relatively more (p=0.000). While expectation for pain relief was expected more with increase of pain severity and interference, patients with mild level of pain severity and interference expected communication and further investigation relatively more (p=0.000, 0.017, respectively). Based on the results of the study, though pain relief was the primary concern for TMD patients suffering from pain, their satisfaction with care may be increased by explanation for etiology and mechanism of TMD to make them understand their problems better and doctor-patient communication and collaborative decision-making for treatment. Importance of patient-centered consultations and availability of written material or web sites for patient information should be stressed out.

환자가 진료실에 들어설 때 어떤 기대와 목표를 가지고 있는 지 파악하여 치료에 적절히 반영한다면 환자의 치료만족도를 향상시키고 보다 나은 치료효과를 얻을 수 있을 것이다. 본 연구는 TMD 환자의 첫 내원 시 면담과 치료에 대한 기대감을 조사하고, 이러한 내원 목표가 과거치료의 유무나 통증 정도 및 통증으로 인한 일상생활의 제한 정도 같은 요소들에 따라 달라지는지를 조사하고자 하였다. 지난 3개월(2010년 8월부터 11월) 동안 단국대학교 치과대학 부속병원 구강내과에 내원하여 TMD로 진단된 18세 이상의 성인 환자를 대상으로 담당의사와의 첫 면담 전 대기실에서 환자기대조사 설문지와 간이통증목록(Brief Pain Inventory, BPI)을 작성하게 하여 분석하였다. 322명의 TMD 환자들의 남녀 비는 1:1.5 이었고 평균연령은 약 36세이었다. 본 연구 결과 TMD 환자들이 병원을 찾을 때 가장 중요한 Top 3의 기대목표는, '통증이 완전히 나았으면 좋겠다(cure of pain)', '왜 아픈지 이유를 알고 싶다(understanding)', '자신의 증상에 대해서 의사와 충분히 상의하고 싶다(doctor-patient communication)'로 조사되었다. 성별이나 병력기간, 과거치료 경험에 따른 환자 내원 목표의 차이는 관찰되지 않았다. TMD를 세분하였을 때, 근육장애, 특히 복합(관절-근육)장애 환자군에서 통증조절을 가장 중요하게 생각하는 비율이 상대적으로 높았고, 자신이 아픈 이유를 알고자 기대가 큰 반면, 관절장애군은 의사소통과 검사에 대한 기대가 상대적으로 더 컸다(p<0.005). 또한 통증과 통증으로 인한 일상생활 제한이 심할수록 통증조절을 가장 중요하게 생각하는 환자의 비율이 증가하였으며, 통증 강도가 낮은 환자들의 경우 의사-환자간 communication에 대한 기대가 상대적으로 컸다(p<0.05). 이러한 결과로 볼 때 TMD 환자의 치료에서 효과적인 통증조절은 가장 우선되어야 할 치료목표이지만, 질병의 원인과 기전에 대한 충분한 설명과 진단과 치료에 대한 의사-환자 간의 충분한 의사소통을 통하여 환자의 진료 만족도를 더욱 향상 시킬 수 있을 것으로 판단된다. 질병에 대한 환자이해를 돕고 의사소통을 충분히 하기 위해 환자중심의 상담과 자료의 적극적인 활용이 필요하겠다.

Keywords

References

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