Managing long term symptoms with complex causes in primary care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Managing long term symtpoms with complex causes in Primary Care: A Survey of Patient and General Practitioner Experiences
IRAS ID
226107
Contact name
Natalie Salimi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 8 days
Research summary
Many people with medically unexplained symptoms present initially to their General Practitioner to make sense of their symptoms and get treatment. However, the difference in consultation expectations between patient and provider can make developing a shared understanding of the symptoms and agreement on treatment options a challenge. There is therefore a need to understand in what ways understanding overlaps and diverges and how these differences are negotiated between GPs and their patient. The primary objectives of this study are to: 1.)To describe patients' representations of having persistent symptoms with complex causes,and how they see their role and the role of their GP in managing them.
2.)To describe how GPs perceive their patients representations of having persistent symptoms with complex causes, and how they see their role and the role of their GP in managing them.
3.)To identify if a shared understanding of the symptoms and their management exist between GP and patient and describe how differences are negotiated.
The study will aim to get a minimum of 5 patient-GP paired interviews,recrutied from an identified general practice in South Yorkshire, UK. Patients will be identified by the GP practice as having MUS and be of working age and able to provide informed consent. GPs will be nominated by the patients taking part in the study, nominating a GP who has had the most involvement with the care for their symptoms. A small sample of 3 GP's from an Academic Department of Primary Care in a school of medicine will also be inviewed to maximise variation in professional experience of managing adults with MUS at different practices in Yorkshire,UK. Participants will be required to take part in one telephone interview-a recorded semi-structured interview lasting 20-30 minutes for GPs and 30-60 minutes for patients.REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SW/0242
Date of REC Opinion
24 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion