A significant gap in understanding between clinicians and patients has led to autoimmune diseases such as lupus and vasculitis being misdiagnosed as psychiatric or psychosomatic conditions, resulting in profound and lasting impacts on patients. Researchers have found that these misdiagnoses are often associated with long-term physical health and wellbeing issues, damaged trust in healthcare services, and lower mental wellbeing.
Dr Melanie Sloan from the University of Cambridge led a study involving over 3,000 participants to explore patient-reported experiences and clinician perspectives. The results highlight that patients who reported being misdiagnosed as having a psychiatric condition experienced higher levels of depression and anxiety, lower mental wellbeing, and damaged self-worth.
The researchers are calling for greater awareness among clinicians about the symptoms of autoimmune diseases and more support for patients. They recommend that clinicians discuss previous misdiagnoses with patients, empathise with their experiences, and offer targeted support to reduce long-term negative impacts.
The study’s findings also suggest that trust can be rebuilt when patients receive understanding and empathy from healthcare providers. However, clinicians highlighted the challenges of diagnosing autoimmune rheumatic diseases, and the risk of misdiagnosis remains high.
To address this issue, health services are recommended to ensure greater access to psychologists and talking therapies for patients reporting previous misdiagnoses. Education is also crucial in reducing misdiagnoses by encouraging clinicians to consider systemic autoimmunity when assessing patients with multiple symptoms.
The study’s authors hope that better awareness among clinicians will lead to reduced risk of misdiagnoses, but they acknowledge that some cases may still occur. However, with the correct support in place, they aim to lessen the impact on affected patients.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1074887