Recognition of medically unexplained symptoms—do doctors agree?

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 483 - 485
• Main Authors: Reid, Steven, Crayford, Tim, Richards, Selwyn, Nimnuan, Chaichana, Hotopf, Matthew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.11.1999; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Diagnosis; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Medical Records; Medical sciences; Medically unexplained symptoms; Observer Variation; Physicians; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychophysiologic Disorders - diagnosis; Reliability; Somatization; Somatoform disorders; Somatoform Disorders - diagnosis; Somatoform disorders. Psychosomatics; United Kingdom; Europe; Somatization; Somatoform disorders; Diagnosis; Reliability; Medically unexplained symptoms; Social environment; Human; Liaison psychiatry; General practitioner; Health staff; Mental health; Test reliability; Interrater agreement; Health economy; Somatoform disorder; Medical record; Comparative study; Public health
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3999(99)00052-5

The aim of this study was to investigate the interrater reliability of the recognition of medically unexplained symptoms by medical investigators. The casenotes of 56 consecutive secondary care out-patient attenders were examined by three medical investigators. The investigators determined whether the presenting symptoms were medically unexplained (not, probable, or definite) and the results were tested for interrater reliability. The combined kappa for the three investigators was 0.76, indicating substantial agreement. This suggests that casenote examination is a reliable method of determining whether a symptom is medically unexplained.