Recovery trajectories of burn patients offer treatment insights

A new study investigates the recovery trajectories of burn patients, in order to help identify burn patients who may need more intensive rehabilitation. The study looked at data from 939 participants measuring the self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at six-, 12-, and 24-months after injury. Researchers found that there were three distinct recovery trajectories:

• Class 1 (recovering), who improved to pre-injury quality of life within two years
• Class 2 (static), who reported a lower HRQOL before injury, and whose HRQOL remained low
• Class 3 (weakend), who improved somewhat over the course of the study, but did not return to pre-injury HRQOL.

These results suggest the importance of early universal screening and intervention for those at risk for low HRQOL. Patients with a low HRQOL before their injury, as well as those who show large declines at six months post-injury may need more intensive rehabilitation.

The study, published in Rehabilitation Psychology, was conducted by Shelley Wiechman, PhD, Professor; Dagmar Amtmann, PhD, Research Professor; and Kara McMullen, MPH, Research Manager; as well as colleagues from a number of other institutions.