Comparing the impact of symptoms and health care experiences of people who have and have not received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia: A cross‐sectional survey within the PACFiND study

Doebl, Stefanie, Hollick, Rosemary J., Beasley, Marcus, Choy, Ernest ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4459-8609, Macfarlane, Gary J. and the PACFiND Study Investigators 2022. Comparing the impact of symptoms and health care experiences of people who have and have not received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia: A cross‐sectional survey within the PACFiND study. Arthritis Care and Research 74 (11) , pp. 1894-1902. 10.1002/acr.24723

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Abstract

Objective: To compare the impact of symptoms and health care utilization of people diagnosed with fibromyalgia, people who fulfill the criteria but are not diagnosed, and people with chronic pain. Methods: We recruited people who had participated in a previous population survey across Scotland and who reported some typical fibromyalgia symptoms or had received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Responses to a postal questionnaire were used to define mutually exclusive groups: people who had a fibromyalgia diagnosis, who met criteria for fibromyalgia, and who had chronic pain. Results: Participants included 85 people with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, 110 who met criteria for fibromyalgia, and 133 with chronic pain. The mean age across groups ranged 57–59 years, but the percentage female varied markedly: 86%, 64%, and 67%, respectively. Compared to those with chronic pain, participants with a fibromyalgia diagnosis were more likely to be out of employment due to health. An average of 3 years was needed to receive a fibromyalgia diagnosis, and more than half were diagnosed in secondary care (most commonly rheumatology). The fibromyalgia diagnosis and criteria groups were similar in terms of symptom impact, quality of life, and life satisfaction but were worse than the chronic pain group. Participants who had received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia reported the poorest health care experiences. Conclusion: An urgent need exists for a model of care for fibromyalgia to ensure prompt diagnosis, access to evidence‐based care, and long‐term support, with the aim of improving function. The data suggest that diagnosis in men may be overlooked, and this finding warrants further study.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Medicine
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	2151-464X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	5 August 2022
Date of Acceptance:	1 June 2021
Last Modified:	23 May 2023 16:38
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/151712

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