Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Physician–Patient Communication About Sexual Functioning In Patients With Multiple Sclerosis, Lara M. Stepleman, Eliot J. Lopez, Lauren A. Stutts, William H. Hudson, Marie-Christine Goodworth, Rebecca Han

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Sexual dysfunction is quite common among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, severity of dysfunction alone does not account for the tremendous variation in sexual satisfaction across individuals living with MS. Individual characteristics, relationships with intimate partners, and environmental factors all likely contribute to the multidimensional experience of sexual satisfaction. Health care provider variables, including how one communicates with providers about sexual concerns, may also be influential. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that are associated with patients’ sex-related communications with their MS physicians and to overall patient sexual satisfaction. Individuals in an MS clinic (n = …

Validation Of The Patient Activation Measure In A Multiple Sclerosis Clinic Sample And Implications For Care, Lara Stepleman, Marie-Christine Rutter Goodworth, Judith Hibbard, Lisa Johns, Dustin Wright, Mary D. Hughes

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Purpose. Patient engagement in multiple sclerosis (MS) care can be challenging at times given the unpredictable disease course, wide range of symptoms, variable therapeutic response to treatment and high rates of patient depression. Patient activation, a model for conceptualising patients’ involvement in their health care, has been found useful for discerning patient differences in chronic illness management. The purpose of this study was to validate the patient activation measure (PAM-13) in an MS clinic sample.

Methods. This was a survey study of 199 MS clinic patients. Participants completed the PAM-13 along with measures of MS medication adherence, self-efficacy, depression and …