Whiplash assessment tools
The Guidelines for the management of acute whiplash associated disorders recommend the use of the following assessment tools and outcome measures for the best possible management of adults with a whiplash injury.
Chapters
Chapters
6. Expectations of recovery
Positive expectations of recovery are associated with good recovery, while negative expectations of recovery are associated with poorer recovery.
At the initial assessment, assess the patient's expectations of recovery by asking them: ‘Do you think you are going to get better soon?’
Examples of positive responses:
- I am a positive person. I think I will get better soon.
- I feel like I am making progress.
Examples of negative responses:
- I have a lot of pain. I am worried that something is seriously wrong.
- My doctor said that recovery from my type of injury takes a long time.
- My friend had a whiplash injury and it took him a long time to get better. I think that might be the same for me too.
Recommended action
If the patient has a negative response, the patient should be monitored. If improvement/recovery is not occurring by three to six weeks post injury, consider referral to a clinician with expertise in the management of whiplash (P3, page 20 guidelines).
Source
Ferrari, R. and D. Louw, Correlation between expectations of recovery and injury severity perception in whiplash-associated disorders.Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE B, 2011. 12(8): p. 683-686.