MEDICAL PROVIDERS' VIEWS OF MEDICALLY UNEXPLAINED ILLNESS AND MEDICALLY UNEXPLAINED SYMPTOMS

Abstract

Patients who present with medically unexplained illnesses or medically unexplained symptoms (MUI/S) tend to be higher utilizers of healthcare services and have significantly greater healthcare costs than other patients, which adds stress and strain for both the patient and provider. Although MUI/S are commonly seen in primary care, and the cost to both patients and the medical system is great, there is not sufficient information available regarding how providers can increase their level of confidence and decrease their level of frustration when working with patients who present with MUI/S. Through a systematic review of the literature and a qualitative phenomenological study, the goals of this dissertation were 1) to report on the qualitative and quantitative research literature regarding medical providers' views of MUI/S, and 2) to discover medical providers' experiences of caring for patients with MUI/S and the personal and professional factors that contributed to their clinical approaches. Results from these studies indicate that providers often experience a lack of confidence in their ability to effectively treat patients with MUI/S, as well as frustration surrounding their encounters with this group of patients. Additional resources that could assist providers in their ability to provide effective care and acquire confidence in their abilities to treat patients with MUI/S need to be developed.