PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Patricia L Dobkin
AU  - Mirella De Civita
AU  - Michal Abrahamowicz
AU  - Sasha Bernatsky
AU  - Jan Schulz
AU  - Maida Sewitch
AU  - Murray Baron
TI  - Patient-physician discordance in fibromyalgia.
DP  - 2003 Jun 01
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - 1326--1334
VI  - 30
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/30/6/1326.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/30/6/1326.full
SO  - J Rheumatol2003 Jun 01; 30
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Discordance between patients' and physicians' health perceptions and satisfaction with the office visit in fibromyalgia (FM) has not been examined. We investigated this phenomenon to identify demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors associated with patient-physician discordance on physical functioning, well being, and satisfaction with the office visit. METHODS: A sample of 182 women were examined by a rheumatologist to confirm the FM diagnosis. Patients and physicians independently completed the Patient-Physician Discordance Scale to assess perceptions of health and satisfaction with the office visit. Patients also completed questionnaires pertaining to sociodemographics, social support, disability, perceived stress, and psychological distress following the office visit. Separate generalized estimating equations with forward selection, controlling for the possible dependence of outcomes among patients of same physician, were modeled for each measure of discordance. RESULTS: The highest discordance score was on satisfaction with the office visit; physicians systematically underestimated patients' level of satisfaction. Higher levels of satisfaction with social support (p < 0.02) and more psychological distress (p < 0.03) were marginally associated with greater discordance on physical functioning. Higher levels of satisfaction with social support (p < 0.003), younger age (p < 0.02), and lower disability (p < 0.03) were associated with greater discordance on well being. More sexual abuse (p < 0.01) was significantly associated with more discordance on satisfaction with the office visit. CONCLUSION: There is a gap between what patients with FM and rheumatologists examining them experience during the office visit. Psychosocial factors contribute to our understanding of discordance on physical functioning, well being, and satisfaction.