Objectives: Utilization of the health care system is not determined by the presence of an organic illness, but by a multitude of interacting factors. This applies particularly to somatoform complaints and disorders, in the context of which the health care system is used very intensively and inadequately in relation to the disorder. The present paper summarizes the frequency of somatoform complaints in the general population and health care utilization due to these complaints.
Methods: On the basis of a survey carried out in 2002 for a representative population of 2089 persons (aged 14 to 92 years), the prevalence of somatoform complaints during a period of 2 years was determined. In this survey, physical complaints were defined as being somatoform when they seriously affected the person's well-being but exhibited a disparity between objective diagnostic findings and subjective experience. The psychosocial aspects were also determined. When somatoform complaints were identified, the specific utilization of the healthcare system for them was investigated.
Results: Somatoform complaints are very frequent in Germany: 8.3% of the population claim to suffer from clinically relevant somatoform disorders that fully meet the criteria mentioned above. The health care system is used heavily for these complaints. Within the last two years, each test person suffering from somatoform disorders consulted a physician a mean 18 times and was incapable of working for a mean of 20 days. 16% of these persons were hospitalized, 9 % received treatment at a health resort, 9 % retired, etc.
Discussion: The considerable utilization of health care services is an essential element of somatoform pathology and has immense medico-political relevance. The most important prerequisite for handling the 'commitment to health care system' symptom is thorough training of all physicians in the basics of somato-psycho-social medicine. This will be an important measure for cost reduction in the health care system.