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Medically unexplained physical symptoms in children: exploring hospital staff perceptions
Penny Furness1, Cris Glazebrook, Jasmine Tay
1Sheffield Hallam University, 30 Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield S10 2BP, UK. p.j.furness@shu.ac.uk
Insights
Pediatric staff find caring for children with medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) challenging, requiring more training and support. They perceive complex needs leading to increased demands and anxiety in hospital settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare
- Psychosomatic medicine
- Clinical psychology
Background:
- Medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) in children pose diagnostic and management challenges for primary care physicians.
- Referrals to acute settings are common, but the impact on hospital staff remains understudied.
- Understanding healthcare professionals' experiences is crucial for improving care pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore perceptions and experiences of pediatric staff caring for children with MUPS and their families.
- To identify challenges and areas for improvement in the management of pediatric MUPS.
- To gauge staff needs for enhanced training and support.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving pediatric staff at a large UK hospital trust.
- Exploration of staff awareness, perceptions, and experiences.
- Data collection focused on challenges, anxieties, and desired support.
Main Results:
- Staff recognize the complex needs of children with MUPS, perceiving increased demands and anxieties.
- Key challenges identified include time management, care protocols, and communication.
- A significant desire for more information and training from psychiatric services was evident.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric staff require enhanced support and training to effectively manage children with MUPS.
- Improving care protocols and inter-departmental communication is essential.
- Addressing staff anxieties and providing targeted education can optimize care for these complex pediatric cases.
Abstract:
Many children present at GP surgeries with debilitating symptoms with no obvious physical cause and are then referred to acute settings for investigation. Research with GPs suggests caring for this group of patients presents a significant challenge, however, the impact upon the range of hospital staff with whom they have contact has been little studied. This study aimed to explore perceptions and experiences of caring for children with medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) and their families among the paediatric staff at one large UK hospital Trust. Data demonstrated staff awareness that children affected by MUPS have complex needs and the perception that those needs resulted in extra demands and anxieties, especially regarding time management, care protocols and communication. There was a clear desire by general paediatric staff for more information and training from psychiatric services to help them care for this group. Results also revealed staff perceptions of the quality of current MUPS care and suggestions as to how this could be improved.
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