TY - JOUR
KW - Adolescent
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Attitude of Health Personnel
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Patients/psychology
KW - Physicians/psychology
KW - Primary Health Care
KW - Sick Role
KW - Somatoform Disorders/diagnosis/psychology
AU - P. Salmon
AU - A. Ring
AU - C. F. Dowrick
AU - G. M. Humphris
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVE: We tested predictions that patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) want more emotional support and explanation from their general practitioners (GPs) than do other patients, and that doctors find them more controlling because of this. DESIGN: Thirty-five doctors participated in a cross-sectional comparison of case-matched groups. Three hundred fifty-seven patients attending consecutively with MUS were matched for doctor and time of attendance with 357 attending with explained symptoms. Patients self-reported the extent to which they wanted somatic intervention, emotional support, explanation and reassurance. Doctors rated their perception of patients' influence on the consultation. Predictions were tested by multilevel analyses. RESULTS: Patients with MUS sought more emotional support than did others, but no more explanation and reassurance or somatic intervention. A minority of doctors experienced them as exerting more influence than others. The experience of patient influence was related to the patients' desire for support. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should examine why GPs provide disproportionate levels of somatic intervention to patients who seek, instead, greater levels of emotional support.
BT - Journal of psychosomatic research
C5 - Medically Unexplained Symptoms
CP - 4
CY - England
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.03.004
IS - 4
JF - Journal of psychosomatic research
N2 - OBJECTIVE: We tested predictions that patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) want more emotional support and explanation from their general practitioners (GPs) than do other patients, and that doctors find them more controlling because of this. DESIGN: Thirty-five doctors participated in a cross-sectional comparison of case-matched groups. Three hundred fifty-seven patients attending consecutively with MUS were matched for doctor and time of attendance with 357 attending with explained symptoms. Patients self-reported the extent to which they wanted somatic intervention, emotional support, explanation and reassurance. Doctors rated their perception of patients' influence on the consultation. Predictions were tested by multilevel analyses. RESULTS: Patients with MUS sought more emotional support than did others, but no more explanation and reassurance or somatic intervention. A minority of doctors experienced them as exerting more influence than others. The experience of patient influence was related to the patients' desire for support. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should examine why GPs provide disproportionate levels of somatic intervention to patients who seek, instead, greater levels of emotional support.
PP - England
PY - 2005
SN - 0022-3999; 0022-3999
SP - 255
EP - 262
EP - 
T1 - What do general practice patients want when they present medically unexplained symptoms, and why do their doctors feel pressurized?
T2 - Journal of psychosomatic research
TI - What do general practice patients want when they present medically unexplained symptoms, and why do their doctors feel pressurized?
U1 - Medically Unexplained Symptoms
U2 - 16223629
U3 - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.03.004
VL - 59
VO - 0022-3999; 0022-3999
Y1 - 2005
ER -