Discovering strengths in patients with medically unexplained symptoms - a focus group study with general practitioners.

ABSTRACT:

Background

When patients suffer medically unexplained symptoms, consultations can be difficult and frustrating for both patient and GP. Acknowledging the patient as a co-subject can be particularly important when the symptoms remain unexplained. One way of seeing the patient as a co-subject is by recognizing any among their strong sides.

Objectives

To explore GPs' experiences with discovering strengths in their patients with medically unexplained symptoms and elicit GPs' reflections on how this might be useful.

Methods

Four focus-groups with 17 GPs in Norway. Verbatim transcripts from the interviews were analyzed by systematic text condensation.

Results

Recollecting patients' strengths was quiet challenging to the GPs. Gradually they nevertheless shared a range

SUBMITTER: Jossang IH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9848323 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature