This abstract is from an upcoming JAPMA manuscript from Joe Mills and me. We have been using this terminology in our clinic for some time and believe it truly makes a difference. Here’s to measuring that effect! We credit our friend and colleague Jeff Robbins with simultaneously working on this subject as well and for his deep thinking on something that rarely is given a second thought in our clinics, worldwide.
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Prevention equals Remission
Armstrong & Mills
Since neuroischemic complications are associated with a high rate of recurrence, we propose a slight shift in the mechanism in which we counsel and communicate risk on a daily basis with our patients. If the epidemiology of this problem is comparable to cancer, and recurrences are common, then perhaps language commensurate with such risks should follow. After initial healing of an index wound, our unit now refers to patients not as being cured, but rather as “in remission”. This concept is easy for the patient and the rest of the team to understand. We believe that it powerfully connotes the necessity for frequent follow-up and rapid intervention for inevitable minor and sometimes major complications.
