What advice do patients with infectious mononucleosis report being given by their general practitioner?

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the advice that patients with acute infectious mononucleosis recall having been given by their general practitioner (GP; family or primary care doctor).

Methods: Individuals with a recent diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis were recruited for a randomised controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of a brief educational intervention on recovery. All participants were asked at their initial assessment what advice that they had been given by their GP. They were not given any prompts and were free to give several responses. Responses were grouped into various themes.

Results: Seventy-one patients took part. Of these, 11 (15%) recalled being given no specific advice. Of the remaining 60 participants, 70% recalled being given advice to rest, or to "take it easy", usually without any qualification; 10% recalled being given dietary advice, and 17% advice on simple symptom management.

Conclusion: The majority of individuals with recent onset infectious mononucleosis recall being given advice to rest by their GPs. This finding is discussed in relation to evidence suggesting that rest may be unhelpful.