Incongruent Views of Functioning between Patients and Gastroenterologists: A Mixed Methods Study.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Psychology
• Primary Care Medicine

Background:

• Functional digestive disorders (FGIDs) present complex management challenges in primary care.
• Patient and gastroenterologist perceptions of illness severity and quality of life can differ significantly.
• Understanding these perceptual differences is crucial for effective patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between congruence in perceived severity and quality of life between gastroenterologists and FGID patients.
• To investigate the association with psychological distress and perceived helping attitude in primary care.
• To explore patient and practitioner perspectives on FGID management.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 1562 FGID patients from primary care centers.
• Quantitative data collection via patient questionnaires on functioning, distress, and helping attitude.
• Qualitative data from 52 patient focus groups and 4 interviews with specialists for incongruent cases.

Main Results:

• Incongruence in perceived illness severity and quality of life between patients and gastroenterologists correlated with psychological distress.
• Patient-practitioner perceptual incongruence explained a significant portion of distress variance.
• Differences in perceived helping attitude were noted between diagnostic groups, but not congruence groups.

Conclusions:

• Perceptual incongruence between gastroenterologists and FGID patients is a significant factor associated with psychological distress.
• This relationship is multifactorial, involving patient disorder characteristics and health system interactions.
• Addressing these perceptual gaps is vital for improving psychological well-being in FGID patients.