In this article, we review published research evaluating the effectiveness of preparation interventions for adult patients undergoing surgery or invasive medical procedures. This review is meant to assist practitioners in selecting or designing an intervention. In general, preparation interventions have been shown to be effective across a range of health outcomes. However, the relative efficacy of different strategies has been difficult to assess, as has the contribution of several patient variables to outcome. Considering interventions used prior to surgery, there is not a clear demonstration of effectiveness, in part because large numbers of outcome variables have been used. In contrast, the preparation intervention literature using adult patients facing invasive medical procedures has shown the relative superiority of modeling procedures and coping strategies. In this review, we consider methodological weaknesses in previous research, and make suggestions for improving future research.