Strengths of patients with medically unexplained symptoms

General practitioners play a key role in the follow-up of patients who suffer enduring symptoms and loss of function without meeting criteria for biomedical diagnosis. The point of departure of this project is a belief that a focus on patients’ strong sides can complement biomedical approaches and counteract stereotypical perceptions among general practitioners.

This project will explore general practitioners’ experiences with discovering strong sides in patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and the consequences that such discoveries have for the general practitioners.

Data collection will be done through three focus-groups with general practitioners in the Stavanger-area in February – April 2018. Systematic text-condensation will be used for analysis, and theories of salutogenesis and embodied selfhood as a fundamental condition of health will constitute the theoretical framework for the project.

People: General practitioner Ingjerd Helene Jøssang, supervised by Stefán Hjörleifsson and Aase Aamland.

Updated: 12.10.18