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Physical and mental illness.
Schellevis, F.G. Physical and mental illness. In: R. Jones; N. Britten; L. Culpepper; D. Gass; R. Grol; D. Mant; C. Silagy. Oxford textbook of primary medical care: principles and concepts (Volume I). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. 134-139
This chapter is concerned with the profile of symptoms, illnesses, and diseases (further referred to as 'morbidity') presented to primary care doctors. It is important to acknowledge that morbidity presented to primary care doctors is only a small part of all morbidity perceived by people in the community. In the first section the profile of morbidity presented to primary care doctors will be discussed and the relation between the position of the primary doctor in the health care system and the profile of morbidity presented to him will be explained. It will be shown that this is a core elements in justifying the existence of primay care medicine as a separate medical discipline in its own. In the second section the diagnostic process of primary care doctors wil be dealt with, including the relevance for making a medical diagnosis and the validity of diagnoses. The third section provides an overview of sources of information about the profile of morbidity presented to primary care doctors. In the fourth section infomation will be given about the frequency and nature of physical and mental illness presented to primary medical care. In the last section attention will be paid to the translation of this epidemilogical information to daily patient care, including the occurrence of rare diseases and the occurrence of more than one disease in the same patient. Finally, the information provided in this chapter will be summarized in a number of key messages. (aut. ref.)
This chapter is concerned with the profile of symptoms, illnesses, and diseases (further referred to as 'morbidity') presented to primary care doctors. It is important to acknowledge that morbidity presented to primary care doctors is only a small part of all morbidity perceived by people in the community. In the first section the profile of morbidity presented to primary care doctors will be discussed and the relation between the position of the primary doctor in the health care system and the profile of morbidity presented to him will be explained. It will be shown that this is a core elements in justifying the existence of primay care medicine as a separate medical discipline in its own. In the second section the diagnostic process of primary care doctors wil be dealt with, including the relevance for making a medical diagnosis and the validity of diagnoses. The third section provides an overview of sources of information about the profile of morbidity presented to primary care doctors. In the fourth section infomation will be given about the frequency and nature of physical and mental illness presented to primary medical care. In the last section attention will be paid to the translation of this epidemilogical information to daily patient care, including the occurrence of rare diseases and the occurrence of more than one disease in the same patient. Finally, the information provided in this chapter will be summarized in a number of key messages. (aut. ref.)