There has been increasing focus on factors predicting the development of chronic musculoskeletal disorders. For patients already experiencing chronic non-specific low back pain it is also relevant to investigate which prognostic factors predict recovery. We present the design of a cohort study that aims …

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often limited in their daily physical activity. However, the level, type and intensity of daily physical activity are not known, nor there is a clear insight in the contributing factors. The aim of this review is to describe daily physical …

This longitudinal study has examined the associations between perceived supportive and unsupportive spousal behavior and changes in distress in couples coping with cancer. We tested whether people relatively low in their sense of personal control were more responsive to spousal supportive and unsupportive …

Proefschrift Koekkoek, B.W., 2011, Dissertation Introduction This thesis concerns patients that are perceived as ‘difficult’ by professionals in mental health care. It is a study of an interpersonal phenomenon with moral implications (judging patients) related to a specific context (community mental …

The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a self-paced, submaximal exercise test used to assess functional exercise capacity in patients with chronic diseases (Chang 2006, Solway et al 2001). It has been used widely in adults, and is being utilised increasingly in paediatric populations; it has been used as …

Background: Structured psychotherapy is recommended as the preferred treatment of personality disorders. A substantial group of patients, however, has no access to these therapies or does not benefit. For those patients who have no (longer) access to psychotherapy a Collaborative Care Program (CCP) …

Across all health care settings, certain patients are perceived as ‘difficult’ by clinicians. This paper’s aim is to understand how certain patients come to be perceived and labelled as ‘difficult’ patients in community mental health care, through mixed-methods research in The Netherlands between June …

In psychiatric care professionals perceive some patients as 'difficult', especially patients with long-term non-psychotic disorders. For these patients few evidence-based treatments exist. An intervention program, Interpersonal Community Psychiatric Treatment (ICPT), was developed by the authors. It …

Background Overhydration in chronic renal insufficiency may lead to an increased risk of mortality. In dialysis patients bio-impedance analysis is used to determine volume status, whereas, in pre-dialysis patients volume status is mostly determined on „clinical assessment‟. In this study comparison between …

This study examined associations between support behavior, i.e. active engagement and protective buffering, and relationship satisfaction in both patients with diabetes and their partners. Active engagement refers to supportive behavior characterized by involving one's partner in discussions, asking …