Doctors' Responses to Patients with Unexplained Symptoms
Author Information
Author(s): Teus Kappen, Sandra van Dulmen
Primary Institution: NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research)
Hypothesis
How do general practitioners respond to patients presenting medically unexplained symptoms?
Conclusion
General practitioners should pay more attention to the clues patients present regarding their psychological concerns.
Supporting Evidence
- Most patients presented symptoms with a reference to an underlying concern.
- GPs often explored concerns but primarily in a medical context.
- Patients who presented explicit concerns were more likely to receive explorative responses.
Takeaway
When people go to the doctor with symptoms that can't be explained, they often hint at deeper worries, but doctors usually focus on physical issues instead.
Methodology
Analysis of 97 videotaped medical visits where patients presented medically unexplained symptoms.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in GPs' responses due to preconceived notions about patients with unexplained symptoms.
Limitations
The study focused only on initial presentations and did not assess later responses during consultations.
Participant Demographics
72.2% female, mostly aged 18-64, 72% native Dutch, 66% high school graduates.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.005
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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