Professional Coping Strategies in a Temporal Perspective: A Pilot Study on How Swedish General Practitioners Deal With Challenges Inherent in Pain Management

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore how general practitioners cope with the challenges they face when trying to provide effective interventions to pain patients within the organizational context of a health center. Based on interviews with 15 Swedish providers, the study suggests that the challenges that general practitioners experience in the consultations with patients must be understood in a temporal perspective related to the process of care (from initial consultations to “post-treatment”) and the help-seeking process (close to the onset of problems or later). The coping strategies used to handle these challenges can be summarized into four major domains. First, participants adopted a biopsychosocial model to provide proper care. Second, they employed strategies to enhance communication. Third, they coped with the organizational environment, and fourth, they used strategies to cope emotionally. The study contributes to a holistic perspective on providers’ coping strategies by addressing temporal and organizational aspects.

Explaining persistent physical symptoms to patients in general practice: can tests to measure central sensitisation add value? A mixed-methods study.

“…(39) Lundberg et al described four major domains in coping strategies used to handle the challenges with patients with PPS: 1. adopting the biopsychosocial model; 2. employing strategies to enhance communication; 3. coping with the organizational environment; 4. using strategies to cope emotionally. (40) In our study, the GPs used the explanation of CS, incorporated in the biopsychosocial model, i.e., they rst explored all symptom dimensions. Still, they were concerned about overlooking somatic disease, but they started the conversation with the patient about the symptoms and combined the explanation with one of the provided tests.…”