Might a Systematic Reading of the Thickest GP Patient Medical Records Improve our Understanding of Functional Disorders

Abstract

A large proportion of General Practitioners’ (GPs) patients experience health problems for which there are no objective findings indicating a clear diagnosis or an appropriate treatment. Objective: In this study, we examine the medical records of one GP relating to all his patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Our aim was to deepen our insight into the concept of ‘functional disorder’ as it presents in general practice.