Evaluation of the My Symptoms eHealth and GP Supported Programme for Adults with Persistent Physical Symptoms in Primary Care

What This Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a new web-based self-help programme called My Symptoms designed for people with persistent physical symptoms PPS. This programme is part of a larger research effort to improve functioning and quality of life for individuals with PPS, aiming also to prevent chronic functional disorders and reduce healthcare use and loss of work capacity. Access to specialized treatment for PPS is currently limited, so this study focuses on how this new programme is adopted and its effects when prescribed by general practitioners GPs who have completed a short training course. The intervention involves patients accessing the My Symptoms eHealth programme following a prescription from their GP. The programme supports patients self-efficacy and behavioral changes through various modules covering symptoms, physical energy, daily resources and strain, values, thoughts, feelings, self-care, and preparation for follow-up visits. Patients choose tasks relevant to their needs and can optionally have a GP follow-up consultation after 6 weeks. The treatment period ends after 8 weeks. Participants will be followed to assess how often they use the programme, how they engage with it, and its impact on their health, quality of life, functioning, satisfaction with care, healthcare use, work productivity, and costs. Outcome measures include changes in symptom intensity and interference from baseline to the end of treatment and three months after. Safety and adverse events will also be monitored. The study spans routine care implementation and evaluates the programmes uptake and effects nationally.

My Symptoms: an eHealth and GP Assisted Programme for Persistent Symptoms in Primary Care