Medically unexplained symptoms: perceptions of physicians in primary health care.
BACKGROUND
Patients presenting with multiple symptoms represent a substantial part of a GP's total work load. At the same time, these patients account for the majority of the people on long-term sick-leave in Sweden today.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to explore GPs' perceptions and ways of managing patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS).


METHODS
Five focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 27 GPs. In the collection and analysis of data, a phenomenographic approach was used.


RESULTS
The GPs described how they used four different approaches to manage patients with MUS: a biomedical, a psychological, an educational and a psychosocial approach. Different approaches were used, depending on the patient and the situation, and the GPs even switched approach when working with the same patient.


CONCLUSIONS
In their work with patients with MUS, GPs need support and further training to improve the way the biomedical frame of reference is integrated with the humanistic perspective.
Woivalin
Tora
T
The Nordic School of Public Health, Göteborg, Centre for Health Equity Studies, CHESS, Stockholm University, Sweden.
Krantz
Gunilla
G
Mäntyranta
Taina
T
Ringsberg
Karin C
KC
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012944:Social Support; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D013548:Sweden