Training Medical Specialists in Communication about Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms: Patient Outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives: Medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) burden patients in their well-being and functioning and have a prevalence of approximately 25-50% in primary and specialist care. Medical specialists often find patients with unexplained symptoms difficult to deal with, whereas patients are not always understood. We report effects on patient outcomes of an evidence-based MUPS-focused communication training for medical specialists.Methods: In a multi-center randomized controlled trial medical specialists and residents allocated to the intervention received a 14-hour MUPS-focused communication training. They practiced a patient-centered approach, including multi-factorial symptom exploration and explanation of MUPS with perpetuating factors. To study intervention effects, each doctor had to include three MUPS patients before and three after the intervention and to ask them to complete questionnaires at baseline and at 3 and 6 months follow-up. The questionnaires included illness worries (Whitely Index), symptom severity (Visual Analogue Scale), distress, depression, anxiety and somatization (4DSQ) and daily functioning (SF-36).Results: A sufficient number of 123 medical specialists and residents participated in the study. They included 478 MUPS patients. Out of them, 297 patients filled out questionnaires at baseline, 165 patients at 3-months follow-up and 71 patients at 6-months follow-up. Recruitment of patients was lower than expected and patients’ non-response to baseline and follow-up questionnaires was higher than estimated. No significant effects were found on patient outcomes.Conclusions: It remains unclear whether medical specialist training results in better patient outcomes in MUPS as the trial was underpowered. New research with special attention to patient recruitment and retention is needed to answer this question.