General practitioners' responses to the initial presentation of medically unexplained symptoms: a quantitative analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Physicians in primary and secondary care are frequently confronted with patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). In order to solve their patients' problems and out of a fear of overlooking a serious disease, many physicians give their patients full physical examinations and interventions, thereby incorrectly confirming the somatic nature of their condition. Preventing somatization could be achieved by examining the patient's symptom presentation for clues to underlying psychosocial issues and by an appropriate physician response.

Methods

Ninety-seven videotaped medical visits from primary care patients presenting MUS for the first time were analyzed. Patients' presentations were categorized in: (1) symptoms only; (2) symptoms with a clue to an underlyin

SUBMITTER: Kappen T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2596168 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature