Medically Unexplained Symptoms: Diagnosis and Treatment

SUMMARY:
People with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) comprise about 30% of primary care patients.  However, few health care professionals have had formal training about the connection between MUS and psychosocial issues. A systematic approach to diagnosis and treatment is described that is based on published evidence and detailed interviews with more than 7,000 of these patients. This approach is designed to meet the needs of primary care teams using techniques for assessing and treating current life stresses, the prolonged impact of adversity in childhood and somatic presentations of depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety disorders.  A toolkit designed to support this evaluation will be presented.

OBJECTIVES:
1. Learn the Stress Evaluation technique for diagnosing MUS
2. Become familiar with principles of MUS treatment
3. Review components of an MUS Toolkit for Diagnosis and Treatment