title: The Meaning of Patient Experiences of Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms.
abstract: Current diagnostic models in medical practice do not adequately account for patient symptoms that cannot be classified. At the moment, when all known diagnostic possibilities have been excluded, physicians-and patients-confront uncertainty in diagnosis, which gives rise to the label of Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms (MUPS). This phenomenological study, conducted by two research teams in two geographic locations, sought to explore patients' experiences of prolonged uncertainty in diagnosis. Participants in this study described their experiences with and consequences of MUPS primarily in relation to levels of acuity and acceptance of uncertainty, the latter loosely correlated to length of time since onset of symptoms (the longer the time, the more forbearance participants expressed). We identified three experiential periods including the active search for a diagnosis, living with MUPS, and, finally, acceptance/resignation of their condition. Findings point to the heightened importance of the therapeutic relationship when dealing with uncertainty.
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Jude.kornelsen@familymed.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Jude
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kornelsen
authors.affiliation: University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Chloe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.affiliation: University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brownell
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Woollard
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002170:Canada; D006801:Humans; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D035501:Uncertainty
keywords: medically unexplained physical symptoms; patient experiences of health care; phenomenology; qualitative research interviewing