Physician-based estimates of medically unexplained symptoms: a comparison of four case definitions

Family Practice
Leslie M SwansonMarc D Feldman

Abstract

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are considered a common occurrence in medical settings, although definitions, methodologies and resulting prevalence rates for MUS vary widely between studies. The objective of the present study was to characterize physicians' estimates of MUS, including clinically significant MUS, and to demonstrate in a single study how estimates vary based on the definition used. Two hundred and thirteen physicians completed an online questionnaire regarding the number of patients who present to their clinic with MUS. To reduce memory biases, participants reported on the number of patient seen in their most recent clinic day who met increasingly restrictive case definitions for MUS. Weekly estimates were also obtained. The least restrictive definition yielded an estimate of 11%. When certainty criteria were added to the definition of MUS, the estimate decreased considerably to 4%. Approximately 3% of patients were estimated to have chronic MUS that affected their daily functioning or caused significant distress (i.e. psychologically significant MUS), and only half of these, 1.5%, were assigned a diagnosis of somatoform disorder or factitious disorder. The proportion of MUS cases accounted for by malingeri...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 17, 2015·BMC Family Practice·Anna Budtz-LillyMarianne Rosendal
Mar 25, 2015·Qualitative Health Research·Jennifer HarshThomas G Irons
Feb 12, 2014·British Journal of Community Nursing·Kevin J Gormley
Aug 30, 2017·The British Journal of General Practice : the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·Juul HouwenTim C Olde Hartman
Jan 22, 2018·Community Mental Health Journal·Yuliya Bodryzlova, Kieron O'Connor
Jan 1, 2019·Health Expectations : an International Journal of Public Participation in Health Care and Health Policy·Juul HouwenSandra van Dulmen
Mar 13, 2019·The British Journal of General Practice : the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·Janna GolJudith Rosmalen
Mar 13, 2012·Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care·Amanda C de C Williams, Matteo Cella
Jul 24, 2020·Anthropology & Medicine·Maria Fredriksen KvammeMette Bech Risør
May 10, 2020·Family Practice·Chris van Weel
Apr 27, 2018·The American Journal of Bioethics : AJOB·Diane O'Leary
Dec 14, 2018·Frontiers in Psychiatry·Jonna F van Eck van der SluijsChristina M van der Feltz-Cornelis
May 23, 2019·BMC Family Practice·Paula Elisabeth van WestrienenNicolaas Johannes de Wit
Jan 15, 2020·The British Journal of General Practice : the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·Juul HouwenTim C Olde Hartman
Jan 27, 2017·Family Practice·Juul HouwenTim C Olde Hartman
Jul 2, 2014·American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine·Sam HubleyCharles Eaton
Jan 23, 2021·Clinical Medicine : Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London·Jonathan RogersMary Docherty
May 6, 2015·Deutsches Ärzteblatt International·Heidemarie HallerGustav Dobos

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