Denmark: Interview with Per Fink in Dagens Medicin

Off-brand Michael Sharpe.

Off-brand Science Media Centre.

 

This article from 1999 surfaced in a Facebook-debate about the Dagens Medicin-article. It's from when Per Fink started up his research on functional disorders and his rhetoric was a bit more evident back then.

Kristeligt Dagblad: Ny dansk forskning i indbildt sygdom
Google translation: New Danish research into imaginary illness

As one of the only places in the world, Aarhus will now focus directly on the large group of patients who have physical symptoms without there having been found any organic explanation. According to doctors and psychiatrists, the group poses a huge strain in health care, but no one has so far taken an interest in it.

Psychiatrist, Ph.D. and dr. med. Per Fink will lead a research unit at Aarhus University Hospital, which has received grants from the Research Councils for a four-year project.

The unit must both research the unhelpful illness behavior as well as teach GPs to better manage patients. - It is a large group that today wanders around in a no man's land. The latest research indicates that at least every fifth patient in the general practitioner and in the hospitals doesn't suffer from anything organically, despite having different physical symptoms, such as pain.

...

- Physicians generally do not know enough about that mental and social stress can cause serious physical symptoms. They are also often excessively afraid to overlook a physical illness. Many people continue to send patients for examinations, even though they know deep down that they are not suffering from anything physiological. It is profoundly surprising that one is not in the same way afraid to overlook if patients should fail something psychological. It can be just as serious, says Per Fink.

 

That is indeed an interesting article. It is to be hoped that it has lost something in translation. How could anybody who seriously thought that no-one had previously taken an interest in this group of patients be considered an expert on anything? Had he ever set foot out of Aarhus?

 

I wonder if any of these detours could have been avoided had there been patients present at the table when decisions on research allocations were made..

 

I logged on just so I could "like" this comment. It gave me a good chuckle as it is so spot on.

 

Thank you - we try as good we can.

 

Thank you for your kind offer - I am vice-chairman of the Danish ME Association and we will contact you on this.

 

I'm glad the humor got through!

 

I love it when the explanation is found in the description.

"I don't know what's in that book because I haven't read it so I will instead try to imagine what it might say if I ever bothered reading it, saving me the trouble of actually having to read it, which I am not interested in because I know in my heart what's in it"

Perfect explanation of anti-science gut feeling. Could come straight from ancient theology books or any book of woo.

 

@Jonathan Edwards,
have you seen posts from @cathrine engsig #27 and @MEinDenmark #17
Just checking.

 

Yes, thanks. There have been emails.