ArticleSAGE open medicine2016
The resource utilisation of medically unexplained physical symptoms.
Article in SAGE open medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Somatisation Scores Associated With Healthcare Costs and Utilisation in a Sample of Emergency Department Patients.Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA · 2026Article
- The Prevalence of Medically Unexplained Symptoms in Emergency Neurology Service.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Article
- Article
- Integrated care model for patients with functional somatic symptom disorder - a co-produced stakeholder exploration with recommendations for best practice.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Stress Measurement in Primary Care: Conceptual Issues, Barriers, Resources, and Recommendations for Study.Psychosomatic medicine · 2022Review
- Interrelationships between symptom burden and health functioning and health care utilization among veterans with persistent physical symptoms.BMC family practice · 2020Article
- Hospitalized Patients with Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms: Clinical Context and Economic Costs of Healthcare Management.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2019Article
- Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms in Hospitalized Patients: A 9-Year Retrospective Observational Study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesAs patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms may present frequently to hospital settings and receive potentially unnecessary investigations and treatments, we aimed to assess the frequency and type of medically unexplained physical symptoms presentations to clinical services and estimate the associated direct healthcare costs.
methodsThis study was undertaken at the largest district health board in New Zealand. All patients with a diagnosed presentation of medically unexplained physical symptoms in 2013 were identified using the district health board's clinical coding system. The clinical records (medical and psychiatric) of 49 patients were examined in detail to extricate all medically unexplained physical symptoms-related secondary care activity within 6 months before or after their medically unexplained physical symptoms presentation. Standardised national costing methodology was used to calculate the associated healthcare costs.
resultsIn all, 49% of patients attended hospital settings at least twice during 2013. The majority of presentations were for neurological or respiratory concerns. The total cost for the sample was GBP89,636 (median: GBP1,221). Costs were most significant in the areas of inpatient admissions and emergency care.
conclusionMedically unexplained physical symptoms result in frequent presentations to hospital settings. The costs incurred are substantial and comparable to the costs of chronic medical conditions with identifiable pathology. Improving recognition and management of medically unexplained physical symptoms has potential to offer more appropriate and cost-effective healthcare outcomes.
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Registered trials
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