Diagnostic and treatment barriers to persistent somatic symptoms in primary care - representative survey with physicians.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Many patients consult their primary care physician with persistent somatic symptoms such as pain or sickness. Quite often these consultations and further diagnostic measures yield no medical explanation for the symptoms - patients and physicians are left in uncertainty. In fact, diagnostic and treatment barriers in primary care hinder timely health-care provision for patients suffering from persistent somatic symptoms (PSS). The significance of individual barriers is still unknown. We compare and quantify these barriers from the perspective of primary care physicians and identify subpopulations of primary care physicians who experience particular barriers as most severe.

Methods

We mailed a questionnaire to primary care physicians (PCP) in Germany and asked them w

SUBMITTER: Lehmann M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8017612 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature