With this study, the investigators aim to answer the following research questions:
1. In what percentage of cases does the diagnostic process conducted during a fatigue consultation at the internal medicine outpatient clinic contribute to a somatic diagnosis?
2. What are the experiences of patients presenting with fatigue at the internal medicine outpatient clinic when a consultation, including diagnostic testing, does not lead to a diagnosis?
To address question (1), the investigators will conduct a retrospective data analysis using information from HiX, an electronic health record (EHR) system.
To answer question (2), the investigators will conduct a prospective qualitative study through interviews.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
18 Years
Max age
—
Healthy volunteers
No
Cohort 1:
Inclusion Criteria:
* Patients under 18 years of age;
* Patients lost to follow-up.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Patients at the internal medicine outpatient clinic with a referral for fatigue e.c.i.
* Patients who visited the clinic after the 1st of April 2022.
Cohort 2:
Inclusion criteria
* Patients at the internal medicine outpatient clinic with a referral for fatigue e.c.i. whose consultation did not bring about a somatic diagnosis
Exclusion criteria:
* Patients under 18 years of age;
* Patients that do not speak Dutch fluently
Primary outcome measure(s)
Results of the blood work — The investigators will determine this retrospectively, two weeks time from the time that the patients were seen. The investigators will determine whether or not pathology is found on the blood work that was done in the context of the fatigue consult. The investigators will determine this on the basis of the conclusion of the internal medicine specialist: Pathology: yes/no.
Results of electrocardiogram (ECG) — The investigators will determine this retrospectively, two weeks time from the time that the patients were seen. The investigators will determine whether or not pathology is found on the ECG that was done in the context of the fatigue consult. The investigators will determine this on the basis of the conclusion of the cardiologist: Pathology: yes/no.
Results of chest X-ray — The investigators will determine this retrospectively, two weeks time from the time that the patients were seen. The investigators will determine whether or not pathology is found on the chest X-ray that was done in the context of the fatigue consult. The investigators will determine this on the basis of the conclusion of the radiologist: Pathology: yes/no.
Experiences of fatigue patients visiting an internal medicine outpatient clinic for whom consultation including diagnostics did not bring about a somatic diagnosis brought about through interviews based on Grounded Theory — The investigators will explore their experiences on two moments: 1-2 months after a consultation and 6 months after a consultation and a year after consultation. These are adult, dutch speaking, native patients, aged 18 to 65 years. They visited the outpatient internal medicine clinic of the Flevoziekenhuis in Almere between the 1st of November 2024 until current.
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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