the contagion spreads ... MUPS in NZ

[Hutan]

The resource utilisation of medically unexplained physical symptoms
Sep 2016

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5011389/

Abstract
Objectives:

As patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms may present frequently to hospital settings and receive potentially unnecessary investigations and treatments, we aimed to assess the frequency and type of medically unexplained physical symptoms presentations to clinical services and estimate the associated direct healthcare costs.

Methods:

This study was undertaken at the largest district health board in New Zealand. All patients with a diagnosed presentation of medically unexplained physical symptoms in 2013 were identified using the district health board’s clinical coding system. The clinical records (medical and psychiatric) of 49 patients were examined in detail to extricate all medically unexplained physical symptoms–related secondary care activity within 6 months before or after their medically unexplained physical symptoms presentation. Standardised national costing methodology was used to calculate the associated healthcare costs.

Results:

In all, 49% of patients attended hospital settings at least twice during 2013. The majority of presentations were for neurological or respiratory concerns. The total cost for the sample was GBP89,636 (median: GBP1,221). Costs were most significant in the areas of inpatient admissions and emergency care.

Conclusion:

Medically unexplained physical symptoms result in frequent presentations to hospital settings. The costs incurred are substantial and comparable to the costs of chronic medical conditions with identifiable pathology. Improving recognition and management of medically unexplained physical symptoms has potential to offer more appropriate and cost-effective healthcare outcomes.

Okay, so remember this is NZ's largest District Health Board serving 600,000 people. In six months of hospital discharge records, they found 49 people diagnosed as having MUPS.

And how much did each of these burdens on society cost the health system for a year? The median hospital costs totalled GBP$1221 (i.e per patient). Around half of the patients were unreasonable enough to visit the hospital more than once.

Of the 49 patients, 23 patients (46.9%) had MUPS in an organ system corresponding to a comorbid physical diagnosis, such as atrial fibrillation co-existing with non-cardiac chest pain.

But surely 49 MUPS in six months out of a population of 600,000 is too low??? After all, UK estimates suggest these muppets greedily use 25% of outpatient consults and 8% of hospital bed days.

Ah, the problem is the NZ health system just isn't diagnosing these people well enough.

And what do these people need? "relatively low-cost psychosocial interventions such as CBT"

"Excessively pursuing the possibility of a physical diagnosis serves not only to unnecessarily increase healthcare costs but also reinforces patients’ illness beliefs and acts as a barrier to potentially more effective treatment options."

"In the United Kingdom, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme interfaces with multidisciplinary teams at all levels of healthcare by facilitating effective and appropriate delivery of psychological therapies.38 A similar change in healthcare pathways at a population level is required in Australasia and internationally to proactively enhance the long-term management of patients with MUPS and decrease maladaptive healthcare practices."

Arrghh

Edit, for some reason I don't have an editing menu bar today - can't make quotes or change fonts. Second edit - I restarted my computer and the editing menu bar appeared.

 

[Chezboo]

OMG, I'm a total MUPPET with a massive potential future risk of NZ residence. It's not funny, I know it's not funny, and yes I am being a little light with the subject matter. It's just that I wish there was some escape from the MUS monster! The Dutch have started a serious MUS campaign, I hope there will soon form a UK one. I will get behind them as much as I can. Seems MUS is the next world pandemic but one mainly for Zebras (not I might add, that Zebra's are as rare as they are cracked up to be but that's another story).

 

[alex3619]

MUSes are being pushed in at least some large hospitals in Australia.

 

[SilverbladeTE]

Remind all these scum that the SAME kind of assholes as themselves touted Eugenics a century ago, and where that led to and that it wasn't based on Science despite the SAME kind of assholes as themselves demanding it was.

Then threaten them with civil and criminal legal action.
They are doctors etc, and thus any mistreatment, physical harm, false imprisonment and death of patients is on THEIR heads.

that's the only way to deal with this.
This evil has bugger all to do with the role of a physician or science, it's ideology, arrogance, inhumanity and greed.