ArticleJRSM short reports2012
Alternative diagnoses to chronic fatigue syndrome in referrals to a specialist service: service evaluation survey.
Article in JRSM short reports, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed.
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome diagnostic reporting in the 2021-2023 National Health Interview Survey.BMC public health · 2026Article
- An Overview of Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Replicated blood-based biomarkers for myalgic encephalomyelitis not explicable by inactivity.EMBO molecular medicine · 2025Article
- Unequal access to diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis in England.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Review
- Evidence-Based Care for People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.Journal of general internal medicine · 2022Article
- The Prospects of the Two-Day Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) in ME/CFS Patients: A Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2020Review
- Review of case definitions for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).Journal of translational medicine · 2020Review
- Treating medically unexplained symptoms via improving access to psychological therapy (IAPT): major limitations identified.BMC psychology · 2020Review
- How have selection bias and disease misclassification undermined the validity of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome studies?Journal of health psychology · 2019Review
- Work Rehabilitation and Medical Retirement for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients. A Review and Appraisal of Diagnostic Strategies.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2019Review
- The Importance of Accurate Diagnosis of ME/CFS in Children and Adolescents: A Commentary.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2018Article
- Trends in the incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in the UK, 2001-2013: a Clinical Practice Research Datalink study.Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine · 2017Article
- Health care resource use by patients before and after a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME): a clinical practice research datalink study.BMC family practice · 2017Article
- From good health to illness with post-infectious fatigue syndrome: a qualitative study of adults' experiences of the illness trajectory.BMC family practice · 2017Article
- Chronic fatigue syndrome: is the biopsychosocial model responsible for patient dissatisfaction and harm?The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2016Article
- Graded Exercise Therapy Guided Self-Help Trial for Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (GETSET): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial and Interview Study.JMIR research protocols · 2016Article
- Fatigue in adults with post-infectious fatigue syndrome: a qualitative content analysis.BMC nursing · 2015Article
- A pilot registry of unexplained fatiguing illnesses and chronic fatigue syndrome.BMC research notes · 2013Article
- Examining the impact of obesity on individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.Workplace health & safety · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the accuracy of diagnoses made by referrers to a chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) service.
designRetrospective service evaluation surveys of both rejected referral letters and medical case-notes after full clinical assessment.
settingA specialist CFS clinic in London, UK.
participantsIn the first survey, we assessed rejected referral letters between March 2007 and September 2008. In the second survey, we ascertained the primary diagnosis made in case-notes of 250 consecutive new patients assessed between April 2007 and November 2008.
main outcome measuresReasons for rejection of referrals and primary diagnosis in those assessed.
resultsIn the first survey, 154 out of 418 referrals (37%) were rejected. Of these, 77 out of the available 127 referrals (61%) had a likely alternative diagnosis. In the second survey of clinically assessed patients, 107 (43%) had alternative medical/psychiatric diagnoses, while 137 out of 250 (54%) patients received a diagnosis of CFS. The commonest alternative medical diagnoses of those assessed were sleep disorders and the commonest alternative psychiatric diagnosis was depressive illness. Altogether 184 of 377 (49%) patients had alternative diagnoses to CFS.
conclusionsHalf of all the referred patients to a specialist CFS clinic had alternative medical and psychiatric diagnoses. Specialist medical assessment for patients with unexplained, disabling, chronic fatigue needs to incorporate both medical and psychiatric assessments.
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