General practitioners' experiences with provision of healthcare to patients with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivity

Sine Skovbjerg; Jeanne Duus Johansen; Alice Rasmussen; Hanne Thorsen; Jesper Elberling; Sine Skovbjerg; Jeanne Duus Johansen; Alice Rasmussen; Hanne Thorsen; Jesper Elberling

doi:10.1080/02813430902888355

General practitioners' experiences with provision of healthcare to patients with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivity

Sine Skovbjerg, Jeanne Duus Johansen, Alice Rasmussen, Hanne Thorsen, Jesper Elberling, Sine Skovbjerg, Jeanne Duus Johansen, Alice Rasmussen, Hanne Thorsen, Jesper Elberling

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Journal	Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
Volume	27
Issue number	3
Pages (from-to)	148-52
Number of pages	5
ISSN	0281-3432
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/02813430902888355 https://doi.org/10.1080/02813430902888355
Publication status	Published - 2009

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Skovbjerg, S., Johansen, J. D., Rasmussen, A., Thorsen, H., Elberling, J., Skovbjerg, S., Johansen, J. D., Rasmussen, A., Thorsen, H., & Elberling, J. (2009). General practitioners' experiences with provision of healthcare to patients with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivity. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 27(3), 148-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/02813430902888355, https://doi.org/10.1080/02813430902888355

Skovbjerg, S, Johansen, JD , Rasmussen, A , Thorsen, H, Elberling, J, Skovbjerg, S, Johansen, JD, Rasmussen, A, Thorsen, H & Elberling, J 2009, 'General practitioners' experiences with provision of healthcare to patients with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivity', Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 148-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/02813430902888355, https://doi.org/10.1080/02813430902888355

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title = "General practitioners' experiences with provision of healthcare to patients with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivity",

abstract = "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.",

author = "Sine Skovbjerg and Johansen, {Jeanne Duus} and Alice Rasmussen and Hanne Thorsen and Jesper Elberling and Sine Skovbjerg and Johansen, {Jeanne Duus} and Alice Rasmussen and Hanne Thorsen and Jesper Elberling",

note = "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",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1080/02813430902888355",

language = "English",

volume = "27",

pages = "148--52",

journal = "Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care",

issn = "0281-3432",

publisher = "Taylor & Francis",

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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 -

General practitioners' experiences with provision of healthcare to patients with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivity

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