TY - JOUR
T1 - General practitioners' experiences with provision of healthcare to patients with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivity
AU - Skovbjerg, Sine
AU - Johansen, Jeanne Duus
AU - Rasmussen, Alice
AU - Thorsen, Hanne
AU - Elberling, Jesper
AU - Skovbjerg, Sine
AU - Johansen, Jeanne Duus
AU - Rasmussen, Alice
AU - Thorsen, Hanne
AU - Elberling, Jesper
N1 - Keywords: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Chronic Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Multiple Chemical Sensitivity; Physician's Practice Patterns; Physicians, Family; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Questionnaires; Self Concept
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To describe general practitioners' (GPs') evaluation of and management strategies in relation to patients who seek medical advice because of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). DESIGN: A nationwide cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey. The survey included a sample of 1000 Danish GPs randomly drawn from the membership list of GPs in the Danish Medical Association. SETTING: Denmark. RESULTS: Completed questionnaires were obtained from 691 GPs (69%). Within the last 12 months 62.4% (n = 431) of the GPs had been consulted by at least one patient with MCS. Of these, 55.2% of the GPs evaluated the patients' complaints as chronic and 46.2% stated that they were rarely able to meet the patients' expectations for healthcare. The majority, 73.5%, had referred patients to other medical specialties. The cause of MCS was perceived as multi-factorial by 64.3% of the GPs, as somatic/biologic by 27.6%, and as psychological by 7.2%. Partial or complete avoidance of chemical exposures was recommended by 86.3%. Clinical guidelines, diagnostic tools, or more insight in the pathophysiology were requested by 84.5% of the GPs. CONCLUSION: Despite the lack of formal diagnostic labelling the patient with MCS is well known by GPs. The majority of the GPs believed that MCS primarily has a multi-factorial explanation. However, perceptions of the course of the condition and management strategies differed, and many GPs found it difficult to meet the patients' expectations for healthcare. The majority of the GPs requested more knowledge and clinical guidelines for the management of this group of patients.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To describe general practitioners' (GPs') evaluation of and management strategies in relation to patients who seek medical advice because of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). DESIGN: A nationwide cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey. The survey included a sample of 1000 Danish GPs randomly drawn from the membership list of GPs in the Danish Medical Association. SETTING: Denmark. RESULTS: Completed questionnaires were obtained from 691 GPs (69%). Within the last 12 months 62.4% (n = 431) of the GPs had been consulted by at least one patient with MCS. Of these, 55.2% of the GPs evaluated the patients' complaints as chronic and 46.2% stated that they were rarely able to meet the patients' expectations for healthcare. The majority, 73.5%, had referred patients to other medical specialties. The cause of MCS was perceived as multi-factorial by 64.3% of the GPs, as somatic/biologic by 27.6%, and as psychological by 7.2%. Partial or complete avoidance of chemical exposures was recommended by 86.3%. Clinical guidelines, diagnostic tools, or more insight in the pathophysiology were requested by 84.5% of the GPs. CONCLUSION: Despite the lack of formal diagnostic labelling the patient with MCS is well known by GPs. The majority of the GPs believed that MCS primarily has a multi-factorial explanation. However, perceptions of the course of the condition and management strategies differed, and many GPs found it difficult to meet the patients' expectations for healthcare. The majority of the GPs requested more knowledge and clinical guidelines for the management of this group of patients.
U2 - 10.1080/02813430902888355
DO - 10.1080/02813430902888355
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 19452353
SN - 0281-3432
VL - 27
SP - 148
EP - 152
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
IS - 3
ER -