Funktional - Ein curriculum zur früherkennung und behandlung somatoformer/funktioneller beschwerden für allgemeinärzte

Promoted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research FUNKTIONAL is a project of the "Forschungsverbund Allgemeinmedizin" of Heidelberg University. In a cooperation of general practitioners and psychosomatic clinicians this project wants to develop, carry out and evaluate a curriculum which will help general practitioners to recognize and treat somatoform/functional complaints as early as possible. The diagnostics and therapy of somatoform/functional disorders is often difficult and unsatisfactory for the attending doctor. Multiple diagnostics inadequate treatment and times absent from work create high costs for the social security system. Especially with this group of patients general practitioners have responsibility in terms of screening, filtering, prevention and treatment. The study aims at optimizing diagnostics and treatment and at increasing the patients' satisfaction and quality of life with a training of general practitioners, based on guidelines and practical experience. The contents of the curriculum are implemented and evaluated within a randomized controlled trial. This way short- and middle-term effects of the intervention regarding the patients as well as doctors can be systematically recorded.