Effect of the addition of a mental health specialist for evaluation of undiagnosed patients in centres for rare diseases (ZSE-DUO): a prospective, controlled trial with a two-phase cohort design.

ABSTRACT:

Background

People with complex symptomatology but unclear diagnosis presenting to a centre for rare diseases (CRD) may present with mental (co-)morbidity. We hypothesised that combining an expert in somatic medicine with a mental health specialist working in tandem will improve the diagnostic outcome.

Methods

Patients aged 12 years and older who presented to one of the 11 participating German CRDs with an unknown diagnosis were recruited into this prospective cohort trial with a two-phase cohort design. From October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019, participants were allocated to standard care (SC, N = 684), and from October 1, 2019 to January 31, 2021 to innovative care (IC, N = 695). The cohorts consisted mainly of adult participants with only a minority of children included

SUBMITTER: Hebestreit H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10579280 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature