Perception Of Overall Quality Research Articles

Associations of Health-Related Quality of Life with Overall Quality of Life in the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Project

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and evaluative well-being (EWB) surveys are used at local and national level to monitor population health. Significant associations have been reported between HRQOL and EWB measures. Perceptions of overall quality of life are one type of EWB measure. This study estimates associations between a quality of life item and HRQOL items in two datasets (n = 21,133 and n = 2996) collected as part of the U.S. Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) project. HRQOL measures accounted for 69% to 75% of variance in overall quality of life. The study provides further evidence about the empirical overlap between EWB and HRQOL. EWB researchers need to explicitly incorporate HRQOL measures and vice versa in their research. Future research is needed to determine the extent to which the associations between EWB and HRQOL vary by individual characteristics.

Povezanost internog marketinga i satisfakcije zaposlenih u bankama

Creating a satisfied and loyal customer base is one of the prerequisites for a long-term survival of the bank in a competitive market, such it is today. Considering that, to achieve a client satisfaction as well as to establish loyalty, it is necessary to have competent, satisfied and motivated employees. That is the reason why banks tend to increasingly shift their attention from traditional to internal marketing. Therefore, the aim of this research is to determine the key internal marketing activities which are crucial for the bank employees' perception of overall quality of internal marketing. Besides, it is necessary to find out are there correlations between all of the extracted key internal marketing activities and all forms of employee satisfaction. The research was conducted in eight branch offices of two banks in Belgrade and Novi Sad and includes 165 respondents employed in said banks. Based on the provided results, a scientific confirmation was given of the importance of internal marketing for the employees' satisfaction in banks. Also, managerial implications are given which internal marketing activities are crucial for achieving the overall employees' satisfaction.

A green perspective: what good does it do?

Green space can have a big impact on improving long-term health and wellbeing. Julian Ashton of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust examines the effects of exposure to the natural world.From 1942 to 1944, Anne Frank's only sight of the natural world was a patch of sky and a chestnut tree: the view from her second floor dormer window. She mentioned this in her diary; it was clearly important to her to have this view. From one who was confined for years to those confined for about two weeks: a well-cited study by Ulrich[1] compared two matched groups of patients who had had a cholecystectomy operation in a suburban Pennsylvania hospital. Half of the patients had a view of trees and the other half, a brick wall. Those with the natural view needed shorter stays in hospital and, during days 2-5 post-operation, took fewer painkillers. To investigate whether this was a beneficial effect of a natural view or due to the lack of interest in the view of the wall, Ulrich and colleagues used a different kind of control in a further study. Subjects watched a stressful film; then one group watched a video of natural scenes, while the rest watched a video of traffic and a shopping mall. The natural views were more de-stressing than the control video, as measured by heart rate and other parameters.[2]Raanaas et al .[3] examined the health benefits of a window view on nature in patients in a Norwegian rehabilitation centre. The subjects were pulmonary or coronary patients who were allocated rooms with a view of natural surroundings, a blocked view or a partially blocked view. Outcome measures included time spent alone in the room and 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) (self-reported mental and physical health). Interestingly, there were gender differences in some results. For women, there was a positive influence of a natural view on self-reported physical health. For men, a blocked view affected mental health negatively. There was also a difference in the response of lung patients compared to coronary patients. The authors consider this may be because the lung patients found it more helpful to spend time resting in their rooms.A study by Dravigne et al .[4] examined whether a view of green spaces affected job satisfaction, although the group with green views included those who had 'live plants' in their offices, in Texas and the Midwest. The survey was done online, which does not necessarily give consistency, but there were clearly significant results. Those with a green view (or plants) reported improved job satisfaction and perception of overall quality of life; this effect was greater among male office staff than female. A green view may be close or more distant, but the proximity of green spaces is a vital factor, whether or not they can be seen from a window. Mitchell and Popham[5] used the records of hundreds of thousands of deaths in England and analysed them in respect of the proportion of green space in the residents' area. …

Effect of Antihypertensive Medications on the Subjective Quality of Life in Previously Untreated Hypertensive Patients

Objective: This study was done with the main objective of evaluating the effect of antihypertensive medications on the quality of life in patients who were previously untreated. Methods : In this prospective study, 114 patients were included. WHO-QOL BREF questionnaire was used to evaluate the quality of life. Results : The study reported no significant difference in any of the four domains from baseline to end of the study scores. Although there was an increase in physical health and psychological function domain scores, the increase was not statistically significant. The results also noted that patient’s perception of overall quality of life did not significantly improve over the study period. However, the patient’s perception of satisfaction with health significantly improved over the study period. The domain scores had a positive correlation with hypertension control. Physical health and environmental condition domains showed a statistically significant correlation with mean change in blood pressure. The quality of life did not vary significantly in different age groups. The quality of life did not significantly differ between different classes of antihypertensive drugs used. Conclusion : The quality of life in hypertensive patients who were previously untreated significantly correlated with hypertension control. There was no difference among different classes of drugs or different age group as for as the effect on quality of life is concerned. Key words : Quality of life, Hypertension, WHO-QOL BREF questionnaire, Antihypertensives, Scores.

Financial Hardship and Patient-Reported Outcomes after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Although hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the only curative therapy for many advanced hematologic cancers, little is known about the financial hardship experienced by HCT patients nor the association of hardship with patient-reported outcomes. We mailed a 43-item survey to adult patients approximately 180 days after their first autologous or allogeneic HCT at 3 high-volume centers. We assessed decreases in household income; difficulty with HCT-related costs, such as need to relocate or travel; and 2 types of hardship: hardship_1 (reporting 1 or 2 of the following: dissatisfaction with present finances, difficulty meeting monthly bill payments, or not having enough money at the end of the month) and “hardship_2” (reporting all 3). Patient-reported stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale-4, and 7-point scales were provided for perceptions of overall quality of life (QOL) and health. In total, 325 of 499 surveys (65.1%) were received. The median days since HCT was 173; 47% underwent an allogeneic HCT, 60% were male, 51% were > 60 years old, and 92% were white. Overall, 46% reported income decline after HCT, 56% reported hardship_1, and 15% reported hardship_2. In multivariable models controlling for income, those reporting difficulty paying for HCT-related costs were more likely to report financial hardship (odds ratio, 6.9; 95% confidence interval, 3.8 to 12.3). Hardship_1 was associated with QOL below the median (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 4.9), health status below the median (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 3.6), and stress above the median (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 3.5). In this sizable cohort of HCT patients, financial hardship was prevalent and associated with worse QOL and higher levels of perceived stress. Interventions to address patient financial hardship—especially those that ameliorate HCT-specific costs—are likely to improve patient-reported outcomes.

Growing and sustaining creative pattern cutting as a recognised profession in Asia

ABSTRACTRecent years have shown a gradual shift in apparel production from China to parts of Southeast Asia, allowing fashion designers to leverage lower labour costs and raw material resources during sampling and production. These cost-saving benefits have impacted the overall perception of quality, as designers frustratingly come to realise the poor levels of skills and pattern cutting knowledge within the region. The current challenges portray the existence of a regional gap in manpower for well-trained pattern cutters to support the designers wishing to produce their collections in Southeast Asia. One such response to this demand is recognised in the current trend of universities offering courses and programmes in creative pattern cutting. Pattern cutting is traditionally seen as a secondary by-product of the fashion design discipline, rather than its own professional career pathway. Against the Asian context, pattern cutting is considered a vocational operation that requires very little formal education. However, the introduction of creative pattern cutting as a specialism within tertiary design education is beginning to challenge existing misconceptions and reshape the role of pattern cutting as an extension of fashion design. This paper aims to review the current value of highly skilled creative pattern cutters in Southeast Asia through discussions of educational support and potential production capabilities within the region.

Change in Residents' Experience in Continuity Clinic After Patient-Focused Primary Care Redesign

ObjectiveEvaluation of efforts to redesign primary care has primarily focused on clinical services, with limited assessment of the effect on learners. This study evaluated the change in pediatric residents' perception of training, teamwork, and patient care in 2 different continuity clinic settings that were implementing patient-focused primary care redesign. MethodsContinuity clinic residents at 2 large urban pediatric training programs completed a survey, developed de novo, before and after primary care redesign. Differences in the proportion of positive (≥4 of 5) ratings before and after redesign were compared using chi-squared tests in 2 practice sites, each of which focused on improving specific aspects of their practice. ResultsThe response rate was >70% in both sites and in both years. Residents in the site focused on teamwork and continuity were more likely to report improved teamwork training (64% vs 83%; P < .05) and teamwork among residents (82% vs 98%; P < .05) after redesign. Perception of overall quality of care in clinic also improved (47% vs 68%; P < .05). Residents in the site focused on clinic flow were more likely to report that physicians, nurses, and administrative staff worked together to optimize patient flow after redesign (25% vs 48%; P < .05). No improvements were seen in domains without focused interventions in either site. ConclusionsPractice redesign focused on clinical outcomes can positively affect resident perception of their training and clinical experience in continuity clinic. Future redesign efforts deliberately involving residents might further enhance continuity clinic training.

Incidence and Characterization of the Anterior Resection Syndrome Through the Use of the LARS Scale (Low Anterior Resection Score)

IntroductionRecently a score (LARS) has been internationally validated that quantifies the anterior resection syndrome (ARS). The objective of this study is to know the incidence and severity of the ARS using LARS and its correlation with selected variables or risk factors. MethodsAll operated patients with anterior resection for rectal cancer between October 2007 and February 2014, with curative intention and at least one year of functionality, were sent a LARS questionnaire. The variables studied were age sex, time elapsed since surgery, type of surgical approach, type of anastomosis, derivative ileostomy, postoperative pelvic complication, and radiotherapy regimen. ResultsOut of 195 patients, 136 (70%) responded, and 132 responded properly. A total of 47% of the patients presented “severe” LARS and 34% did not develop quantifiable ARS. Quality of life was worse in the highest LARS scores (P=.002). In the univariate analysis, total mesorectal excision, long radiotherapy regimen and derivative stoma were associated to “severe” LARS and the use of a reservoir was associated with minor LARS. In multivariate analysis only the type of resection (P<.001) and the use of a reservoir (P=.002) were individual factors related to LARS. ConclusionsHalf of the operated patients presented high LARS score and only a third did not provide a quantifiable ARS. The overall perception of quality of life was significantly worse in patients with more severe LARS. The absence of the rectum (total mesorectal excision) and the type of anastomosis were the main factors associated with the LARS score.

Incidencia y caracterización del síndrome de resección anterior de recto mediante la utilización de la escala LARS (low anterior resection score)

IntroductionRecently a score (LARS) has been internationally validates that quantifies the anterior resection syndrome (ARS). The objective of this study is to know the incidence and severity of the ARS using LARS and its correlation with selected variables or risk factors. MethodsAll operated patients with anterior resection for rectal cancer between October 2007 and February 2014, with curative intention and at least one year of functionality, were sent a LARS questionnaire. The variables studied were: Age sex, time elapsed since surgery, type of surgical approach, type of anastomosis, derivative ileostomy, postoperative pelvic complication, and radiotherapy regimen. ResultsOut of 195 patients, 136 (70%) responded, and 132 responded properly. A total of 47% of the patients presented «severe» LARS and 34% did not develop quantifiable ARS. Quality of life was worse in the highest LARS scores (P=.002). In the univariate analysis, total mesorectal excision, long radiotherapy regimen and derivative stoma were associated to «severe» LARS and the use of a reservoir was associated with minor LARS. In multivariate analysis only the type of resection (P<.001) and the use of a reservoir (P=.002) were individual factors related to LARS. ConclusionsHalf of the operated patients presented high LARS score and only a third did not provide a quantifiable ARS. The overall perception of quality of life was significantly worse in patients with more severe LARS. The absence of the rectum (total mesorectal excision) and the type of anastomosis were the main factors associated with the LARS score.

Patients versus healthcare providers’ perceptions of quality of care

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to find out whether there are any significant gaps in perceptions of quality of care between patients and healthcare providers in Ghana’s hospitals.Design/methodology/approach– A cross-sectional survey of patients seeking outpatient consultations in 17 general hospitals in Ghana was conducted. A total of 818 patients and 152 hospital managers were interviewed. A 22-item quality of care scale was used in data collection. Data were analysed with the aid SPSS version 20. Summary statistics andt-test were used to analyse the data.Findings– There was a significant difference in the overall perception of quality of care between patients and healthcare providers (Patients:M=89.11, SD=11.457; Providers:M=94.60, SD=10.922;t(845) −4.956,p&lt; 001, two-tailed). Also, 18 items out of the 22-item quality of care scale showed significant difference between patients and providers. However, levels of quality of care is generally rated fairly favourably by both category of respondents.Research limitations/implications– Further study is required to explore the reasons for the perceived quality gaps between patients and healthcare providers.Practical implications– Management of hospitals need to evaluate patients’ perceptions of quality of care to inform measures aimed at improving quality of care, since what they may consider as good quality service may be rated less favourably by patients.Originality/value– Comparing perceptions of quality between patients and healthcare providers is important in order adopt measures to address any differences in perceptions of quality between the two stakeholders. To the best of the author’s knowledge no study has been conducted in Ghana to that effect.

How “quality” determines customer satisfaction

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to develop a research framework to explain the relationship between overall restaurant quality and customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach– To test this model, the authors deploy 48 mystery shoppers to evaluate 496 Taiwanese restaurants. Further, the authors performed two different regression models and performing the Baron and Kenny (1986) procedure to test the hypotheses.Findings– This study investigates whether restaurants are susceptible to the quality and level of restaurant service, and the restaurant’s physical atmosphere. Further, this study investigates whether these two constructs are likely to improve customers’ perception of restaurant quality, and whether such a strategy may also lead to customers’ satisfaction and facilities word-of-mouth recommendations.Practical implications– The evidence suggests that the construct of “restaurant service” and “physical atmosphere” are strong determinant of improving customers’ perception of overall quality of restaurant. That is, there is a tendency to innovate when restaurant managers prioritize customers’ satisfaction. Further, managers who believe that service and physical atmosphere issues are top priorities will also improve the overall quality in their restaurants.Originality/value– Measuring the relationships between Michelin star evaluation criteria via a large observation sample is rare in the present literature. As far as the authors know, this is the first paper to exam the relationships between Michelin star evaluation criteria.

Later Life Migration: Sociocultural Adaptation and Changes in Quality of Life at Settlement Among Recent Older Chinese Immigrants in Canada

Drawing on data from face-to-face semi-structured interviews of 31 older Chinese women and men emigrating recently from mainland China to Canada, this paper explores their settlement experience with regard to socio-cultural adaptation, and overall self-perceived quality of life in the new country. Descriptive analysis of data was done using SPSS and the interview data were transcribed and analyzed in combination with demographic profiles for emerging themes guided by theoretical frameworks. Results indicated that needs for grandchildren’s care assistance appeared to be a strong reason for their international migration. Co-residing with their married children resulted in a decline in power, status and decision-making. The participants keenly felt the loss of their social support networks and socialization/physical activities back in China. Although religious participation, attendance at ESL classes and physical activities were the popular means of their new socialization, these were limited by their care-giving and housekeeping roles. Their overall perception of quality of life after immigration was marginalized by losses and gains, and contingent on multifaceted factors including living arrangement, language, intergenerational relationships, economic status, and supportive networks at individual levels. Recommendations for policies, programs and more services to be offered to elderly immigrants are provided.

Effects of the Minnesota Adaptation of the NYU Caregiver Intervention on Depressive Symptoms and Quality of Life for Adult Child Caregivers of Persons with Dementia.

This study determined whether the NYU Caregiver Intervention for Adult Children (the NYUCI-AC) significantly reduced depressive symptoms and improved quality of life for adult child caregivers of persons with dementia. The NYUCI-AC was evaluated within a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. The sample included 107 adult child caregivers of persons with dementia (N= 54 assigned to the multi-component treatment group; N= 53 assigned to a contact control group). Participants completed comprehensive assessments every 4 months during the first year and every 6 months thereafter for at least 2 years and up to 3.79 years. Individual growth curve models found that caregivers in the NYUCI-AC treatment condition indicated statistically significant (p<0.05) curvilinear decreases in symptoms of depression indicating withdrawal, apathy, and lack of vigor and increases in perceptions of overall quality of life over a 3-year period in comparison to control caregivers. The NYUCI-AC offered adult child caregivers the capacity, via individual and family counseling as well as ongoing support, to enhance their quality of life and overcome their social withdrawal and apathy over time. These findings lend additional support to the NYUCI as an evidence-based approach to support family caregivers of persons with dementia.

A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Targeted Prefrontal Cortex Modulation with Bilateral tDCS in Patients with Crack-Cocaine Dependence.

Background:Transcranial direct current stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has been shown to be clinically useful in the treatment of drug addiction.Methods:We conducted a double-blind randomized clinical trial aiming to assess the effects of bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (left cathodal/right anodal) on crack-cocaine addiction. We defined craving as the primary outcome, and other clinical measurements, including depressive and anxiety symtoms, and quality of life, as secondary outcomes. Seventeen male crack-cocaine users (mean age 30.4±9.8 SD) were randomized to receive 5 sessions of active transcranial direct current stimulation (2 mA, 35cm2, for 20 minutes), every other day, and 19 males (mean age 30.3±8.4 SD) to receive sham-transcranial direct current stimulation (placebo) as control group.Results:Craving scores were significantly reduced in the transcranial direct current stimulation group after treatment when compared with sham-transcranial direct current stimulation (P=.028) and baseline values (P=.003), and decreased linearly over 4 weeks (before, during, and after treatment) in the transcranial direct current stimulation group only (P=.047). Changes of anxiety scores towards increase in the sham-transcranial direct current stimulation and decrease in the transcranial direct current stimulation group (P=.03), and of the overall perception of quality of life (P=.031) and of health (P=.048) towards decrease in the sham-transcranial direct current stimulation group and increase in the transcranial direct current stimulation group differed significantly between groups.Conclusions:Repetitive bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex reduced craving for crack-cocaine use, decreased anxiety, and improved quality of life. We hypothesize that transcranial direct current stimulation effects may be associated with increased prefrontal processing and regulation of craving behavior.

Validation of the Intermountain patient perception of quality (PPQ) survey among survivors of an intensive care unit admission: a retrospective validation study.

BackgroundPatients’ perceptions of the quality of their hospitalization have become important to the American healthcare system. Standard surveys of perceived quality of healthcare do not focus on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) portion of the stay. Our objective was to evaluate the construct validity and internal consistency of the Intermountain Patient Perception of Quality (PPQ) survey among patients discharged from the ICU.MethodsWe analyzed prospectively collected results from the ICU PPQ survey of all inpatients at Intermountain Medical Center whose hospitalization included an ICU stay. We employed principal components analysis to determine the constructs present in the PPQ survey, and Cronbach’s alpha to evaluate the internal consistency (reliability) of the items representing each construct.ResultsWe identified 5,680 patients who had completed the PPQ survey. There were three basic domains measured: nursing care, physician care, and overall perception of quality. Most of the variability was explained with the first two principal components. Constructs did not vary by type of respondent.ConclusionsThe Intermountain ICU PPQ survey demonstrated excellent construct validity across three distinct constructs. This, in addition to its previously established content validity, suggests the utility of the PPQ survey as an assay of the perceived quality of the ICU experience.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0828-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Analysis of the physical aspects of quality of life of kidney recipients

To identify the main factors of the physical domain modified after kidney transplantation and analyze the influence of those aspects in the perception of Overall quality of life (QOL). Longitudinal study, conducted with 63 chronic kidney patients, evaluated before and after kidney transplant, using the quality of life scale proposed by the World Health Organization. We observed significant improvement in the physical aspects of QOL after kidney transplantation. Significant correlations were observed between physical aspects and the Overall QOL. The kidney transplant generated improvement in all physical aspects of QOL. The factors that showed stronger correlation with the Overall QOL before the transplant were the capacity to work and pain. After the transplant, the perception of need for treatment was the factor that showed stronger correlation with the Overall QOL.

The relationship between patients’ perceptions of care quality and three factors: nursing staff job satisfaction, organizational characteristics and patient age

BackgroundThe relationship between nurses’ job satisfaction and their perceptions of quality of care has been examined in previous studies. There is little evidence, however, about relationships between the job satisfaction of nursing staff and quality of care perceived by the patients. The aim of this study was to analyze, how the job satisfaction of nursing staff, organizational characteristics (hospital and unit type), and patients’ age relate to patients’ perceptions of the quality of care.MethodsThe study was cross-sectional and descriptive, based on a secondary analysis of survey data acquired during the At Safe study in Finland. The study included 98 units at four acute care hospitals between autumn 2008 and spring 2009. The participants were 1909 patients and 929 nursing staff. Patients’ perceptions of quality of care were measured using the 42-item RHCS questionnaire. Job satisfaction of nursing staff was measured with the 37-item KUHJSS scale. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, t-tests, analysis of variance, linear regression, and multivariate analysis of variance.ResultsPatients’ perceptions of overall quality of care were positively related to general job satisfaction of nursing staff. Adequate numbers of staff appeared to be the clearest aspect affecting quality of care. Older patients were more satisfied with staff number than younger patients. Patients cared for in outpatient departments felt more respected than patients in wards, whereas patients in wards reported better care of basic needs (e.g., hygiene, food) than outpatients.ConclusionsThe evaluation of resources by nursing staff is related to patients’ perceptions of the adequacy of nursing staff levels in the unit. The results emphasize the importance of considering patients’ perceptions of the quality of care and assessments by nurses of their job satisfaction at the hospital unit level when evaluating quality of care.

Modeling the Service Quality of Public Bicycle Schemes Considering User Heterogeneity

This article proposes a methodology for studying the quality of service perceived by users of a public bicycle scheme. The public is involved from the first phases of the research through their presence in focus groups to identify the relevant variables asked about in the survey. Ordered probit models have been calibrated that consider systematic variations in preference and random parameters. The results highlight the importance of safety and available information above other service variables, as well as the adjustment in perception of overall quality after considering each of the characteristics of the service, as it is proposed in this methodology.

A randomized controlled trial of targeted prefrontal cortex modulation with tDCS in patients with alcohol dependence.

Preliminary small studies have shown that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) reduces craving in alcoholic subjects. It is unclear whether tDCS also leads to changes in clinically meaningful outcomes for alcohol dependence in a properly powered phase II randomized clinical trial. We aimed to investigate whether repetitive tDCS changes the risk of alcohol use relapse in severe alcoholics from outpatient services. Thirty-five subjects were randomized to receive active bilateral [left cathodal/right anodal over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC)] repetitive (five consecutive days) tDCS (2 mA, 35 cm2, two times daily stimulation for 13 min with a 20-min interval) or sham-tDCS. There were two dropouts before treatment. From 33 alcoholic subjects, 17 (mean age 45.5±8.9 s.d., 16 males) were randomized to sham and 16 (44±7.8 s.d., 16 males) to real tDCS treatment. By the end of the six months of follow-up, two subjects treated with sham (11.8%) and eight treated with real tDCS (50%) were still alcohol-abstinent [p=0.02, Long-rank (Mantel-Cox) Test, HR=0.35 (95% CI, 0.14-0.85)]. No differences with regard to changes on scores of craving, frontal function, global mental status, depressive or anxiety symptoms were observed between groups. However, subjects from the tDCS group improved with regard to their overall perception of quality of life (p=0.02), and increased their scores in the environment domain (p=0.04) after treatment. Bilateral tDCS over dlPFC reduces relapse probability in severe alcoholic subjects and results in improved perception of quality of life.

Osteopathic manipulative treatment for inpatients with pulmonary exacerbations of cystic fibrosis: effects on spirometry findings and patient assessments of breathing, anxiety, and pain.

Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) has been studied in patients with various respiratory diseases. However, to the authors' knowledge, no studies have assessed the efficacy of OMT in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). To evaluate pulmonary function and perceptions of breathing, anxiety, and pain of CF patients who receive OMT in addition to standard inpatient management of pulmonary exacerbation. In a single-blind randomized controlled trial, we assessed adult patients with a history of CF who were admitted to the hospital because of pulmonary exacerbation. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a daily standardized protocol of OMT or sham therapy. Both groups also received standard treatment for CF. Spirometry and questionnaire data (self-assessment of breathing, pain, and anxiety level) were collected before the first OMT or sham therapy session and after the final session. A total of 33 patients were included in the study: 16 in the OMT group and 17 in the sham therapy group. Improvements in spirometric parameters were observed in both the OMT and the sham therapy groups, with no statistically significant differences found between the groups. More patients in the OMT group than in the sham therapy group had questionnaire response patterns that indicated their breathing had improved during the study period (15 of 16 vs 8 of 16, respectively). No differences were found between groups for perceived improvement of pain and anxiety. In the current study, CF patients who received OMT did not demonstrate statistically significant differences in pre- and posttreatment spirometry findings compared with CF patients who received sham therapy. Questionnaire findings suggest that OMT may affect CF patients' perception of overall quality of breathing. Additional studies are needed to assess the clinical use of OMT in patients with CF.