[Bodily symptoms and utilization of medical care]

Bodily symptoms and utilization of medical care. OBJECTIVE: An important aspect in a person's attitude towards disease, which also determines when medical help is sought, relates to one's perception of bodily symptoms and to the manner in which the impact of an illness is dealt with. It was the aim of this study to ascertain what bodily signs of disease in an organ system would make healthy persons within a normal population seek medical help. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A representative sample of the population of Germany (n=2050), aged between 14 and 92 years, was presented with the description of 20 symptoms of diseases of various organ systems and asked which of these symptoms would induce them to consult a doctor. RESULTS: Between 8% and 10% of those asked said that they would not go to a doctor even if they had clear bodily symptoms, e. g. blood in the urine , persistent joint pains , dizziness of fainting or pain in the lower abdomen . Analysis of variance for individual symptoms revealed that a significantly higher percentage of women and elderly persons would go and see a doctor than men and younger persons. Significantly fewer persons in the eastern (former DDR) Lands than the western ones would seek medical help. There was no significant correlation between the seeking medical help and subjective complaints, as measured by the Giessen Complaint Questionnaire, as well as any tendency towards hypochondria, as measured by the Whiteley Hypochondria Index. CONCLUSION: It is clear that complex processes of bodily awareness and assessment of symptoms precede medical consultation. These processes must be considered as part of a person's attitude towards illness and, most of all, of its congnitive component ( health beliefs ). They are dependent on charakteristics of sociodemography and social structure ant they have far reaching significance for ambulatory care. It is clear that there is a great need for research in this area.