• Knut Georg Müller, Angelika Richter, Christiane Bieber, Klaus Blumenstiel, Stefanie Wilke, Achim Hochlehnert, and Wolfgang Eich.
• Abteilung Innere Medizin II, Allgemeine Klinische und Psychosomatische Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg. Knut.Mueller@med.uni-heidelberg.de
• Z Arztl Fortbild Qualitatssich. 2004 Mar 1; 98 (2): 95-100.

AbstractConditions affecting the musculoskeletal system are the cause of approximately 25% of absenteeism from work. Fibromyalgia syndrome is an exemplary condition of chronic widespread pain which most physicians consider difficult to manage. The physician-patient relationship is burdened with resignation and frustration on both sides. Initial agreement regarding the aims of treatment is rare. The patient's active involvement in the decision making process is expected to improve the physician-patient relationship. One aspect of this shared decision making process is the evaluation and possibly modification of treatment decisions. In the present study 39 consultations of physicians who had undergone special communication training were examined as to whether these physicians actually exercised the option of revising their treatment decisions. In 87.2% of the consultations the therapy decisions were modified within three months after the first encounter. Patients considered to be "difficult" were less likely to modify their decisions. The shared decision making process usually takes more than one consultation.

8 keywords...

hide…