title: Patient-physician discordance in fibromyalgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Discordance between patients' and physicians' health perceptions and satisfaction with the office visit in fibromyalgia (FM) has not been examined. We investigated this phenomenon to identify demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors associated with patient-physician discordance on physical functioning, well being, and satisfaction with the office visit.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 182 women were examined by a rheumatologist to confirm the FM diagnosis. Patients and physicians independently completed the Patient-Physician Discordance Scale to assess perceptions of health and satisfaction with the office visit. Patients also completed questionnaires pertaining to sociodemographics, social support, disability, perceived stress, and psychological distress following the office visit. Separate generalized estimating equations with forward selection, controlling for the possible dependence of outcomes among patients of same physician, were modeled for each measure of discordance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest discordance score was on satisfaction with the office visit; physicians systematically underestimated patients' level of satisfaction. Higher levels of satisfaction with social support (p < 0.02) and more psychological distress (p < 0.03) were marginally associated with greater discordance on physical functioning. Higher levels of satisfaction with social support (p < 0.003), younger age (p < 0.02), and lower disability (p < 0.03) were associated with greater discordance on well being. More sexual abuse (p < 0.01) was significantly associated with more discordance on satisfaction with the office visit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a gap between what patients with FM and rheumatologists examining them experience during the office visit. Psychosocial factors contribute to our understanding of discordance on physical functioning, well being, and satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Epidemiology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. patricia.dobkin@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Dobkin
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Civita
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abrahamowicz
authors.forename: Sasha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernatsky
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Maida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sewitch
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baron
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012219:Rheumatology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires