Towards effective reassurance in irritable bowel syndrome: The importance of attending to patients' complaint-related cognitions

This article presents an overview of the role of complaint-related cognitions, emotions and behaviours, as well as environmental factors in patients with irritable bowel syndrome during each phase of the medical health care process. Literature findings support the authors' opinion about the importance of attending to patients' complaint-related cognitions as these factors appear to trigger a person to consult a doctor. Although doctors subsequently appear to attend to these factors by means of patient-centred interviewing, it is the opinion of the authors that a more thorough and individually tailored complaint analysis by the doctor is required to systematically and explicitly explore and discuss the different complaint dimensions. Such an interactive complaint analysis is considered to be a prerequisite for the effective reassurance of the patients that is reflected in positive changes in dysfunctional complaint-related cognitions, emotions and behaviours. A structured course in interactive consulting may help doctors to acquire this interactive patient-centred complaint analysis.