title: Survey of pediatricians' management practices for recurrent abdominal pain.
abstract: Surveyed general pediatricians (N = 116) regarding six content areas: (a) diagnostic procedures utilized during the initial evaluation sequence of a child with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP); (b) factors that influence decisions to order additional evaluations; (c) management practices following negative evaluation results; (d) factors influencing decisions about consultation with or referral to a mental health professional; (e) attitudes about the etiology of RAP; and (f) the frequency in which pediatricians encountered children with RAP and referred them to mental health services. Results of this survey are presented and discussed from a biopsychosocial perspective. Limitations of the survey, implications of the results for integrating mental health professionals into the evaluation and treatment process of RAP patients, and directions for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Mullins
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bernardy
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D003657:Decision Making; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires