Functional somatic symptoms in Emergency Department frequent presenters

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Clinical psychology
• Emergency medicine

Background:

• Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS) are common in healthcare settings like Emergency Departments (ED).
• Limited research exists on FSS characterization and frequency among frequent ED presenters, particularly in Australia.
• This study addresses the gap in Australian evidence regarding FSS in frequent ED attendees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS) in frequent Emergency Department (ED) presenters in Australia.
• To determine the frequency of FSS among patients with multiple ED re-presentations.
• To investigate the association between FSS and psychological distress in frequent ED attendees.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, single-centre study analyzed frequent ED presenters (>3 re-presentations/month) over six months.
• Patients were categorized into FSS, possible FSS (pos-FSS), and non-FSS groups using established criteria.
• Descriptive statistics and incidence calculations compared group characteristics and ED presentation frequency; psychological distress indicators were also analyzed.

Main Results:

• 11% of frequent ED presenters had FSS, and 72% had possible FSS.
• Patients with FSS showed significantly higher mean ED presentations compared to non-FSS and pos-FSS groups (p < 0.01).
• Anxiety was identified as the primary psychological distress indicator linked to ED presentations in FSS patients.

Conclusions:

• Frequent ED presenters with FSS exhibit significantly higher presentation rates than those without FSS.
• Revising ED care models to include therapy referrals for FSS patients is proposed.
• Implementing therapy referrals may reduce demand and enhance patient care and ED efficiency.