Goodfellow Unit Webinar: Somatisation in a 15 minute consultation

Somatisation is the expression in physical symptoms of psychological distress.

This includes illnesses with or without organic pathology. Surprisingly there is still very little medical education about this common dynamic of human illness experience.

Dr Brett Mann will discuss easily implemented approaches which enable you to take a history, recognise patterns of somatising illness, and safely make a positive diagnosis of somatisation.

This contrasts with the inefficiency of ‘diagnosis by exclusion’. You will learn how to help patients shift from a physical to a psychosocial focus, and how to safely manage these illnesses in a general practice context. Frustrating consultations become efficient, interesting and satisfying!

Brett will discuss:

- Common patterns of somatising illness.

- How to easily ‘set the scene’ to discuss somatisation so patients don’t respond with ‘You think I’m imagining it,’ ‘You think it’s all in my head,’ ‘You think I’m not coping.’

- How to safely make a positive diagnosis based on what is there, not a diagnosis of exclusion based on what is not there.

- Four standard questions.

- Management; including recognising that many patients decide what to do themselves once they understand the connection between life circumstances and their symptoms.