GPs’ experiences with children and adolescents with functional gastro-intestinal disorders: a qualitative study in Norway, 2021, Brodwell and Brekke

[Andy]

Full title: General practitioners’ experiences with children and adolescents with functional gastro-intestinal disorders: a qualitative study in Norway

Abstract

Objective: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common in children and adolescents. During 2016 and 2019, we investigated the experiences among parents of children with FGIDs and interviewed their children and adolescents during 2020. The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences among general practitioners (GPs) who treat this patient group.

Design: Individual interviews with open-ended questions were audio recorded and transcribed, and subsequently analysed using descriptive content analysis.

Setting: Urban and rural areas in two municipalities in Southern Norway. Participants: Twelve GPs practicing in the region were interviewed.

Results: GPs generally feel competent treating these patients without referring them to hospital or specialists. Having known the patients and their families over time is important. Providing psycho-educational resources to the patients and parents is essential for their understanding that the pain is not dangerous. The importance of attending school was emphasised.

Conclusions: The GPs' biopsychosocial focus and long-term follow-up care are essential in treating children and adolescents with FGIDs and their parents.

Open access, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02813432.2021.2012347

 

[Midnattsol]

I wonder what the GP of the patients that came to the nutrition clinic after having had five years of almost daily diarrhea would have answered to a question about how he felt he was dealing with the situation..

This sprung out at me:

All GPs in our study mentioned that most of these child and adolescent patients with FGIDs disappeared from their practice after some time. When this occurred, the GP concluded that the patient had recovered. However, some returned, even years later, with the same symptoms. Others returned with mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression.

Some quotes from the interviews:

Their stomach controls their life. They are quite healthy children, except from having abdominal pain (Interview 9).

They returned for a new consultation after some month. The advices I had given them earlier had not been followed. They asked for a referral to hospital for a quick treatment (Interview 9).

The children and adolescents need to have fun and experience a good life. That is maybe the most important treatment for these children with abdominal pain (Interview 10).

Sigh.

 

[rvallee]

Awful. What absurd nonsense. Expertise without appropriate feedback is essentially useless. When failures are marked as success, it's basically unlearning.

The conclusion is especially nonsense, completely detached from reality.