ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is characterized by severe debilitating fatigue for at least six months. The lack of a known origin could have consequences for the way general practitioners deal with the diagnosis CFS and their perception of CFS patients. The aims of the study were to investigate the use of the diagnosis CFS by GPs and their reactions to self-diagnosis and to explore opinions of GPs about causes of CFS and the communication with CFS patients as well as opinions of CFS patients about their GPs.
Method: One hundred twenty-one GPs completed questionnaires and 12 were interviewed. Data of 211 CFS patients were analyzed as well.
Results: Only half of the GPs used the diagnosis CFS. The main reason for not diagnosing CFS was ignorance of the criteria. GPs reported self-diagnosis in 68% of the CFS patients. More than half of the GPs could sympathize less with the complaints of CFS patients compared with other patients. These GPs experienced more problems in communicating with CFS patients and judged co-operation and contact as poor. As to the causes for CFS a discrepancy was found. GPs mainly attributed the complaints to psychosocial factors, whereas patients mainly had physical attributions.
Conclusion: In CFS, GPs should be explicit about the diagnosis. As to the discrepancy in presumed causes of CFS between GPs and CFS patients, it may be helpful for GPs to discuss the distinction between initiating and perpetuating factors of CFS. We argue that this attitude of GPs would be beneficial to the course of the complaints of CFS patients.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Judith B. Prins
Jos W. M. van der Meer, Professor of Internal Medicine; from Nijmegen, The Netherlands.