How Does Nothing Show Up When I'm in So Much Agony? - A Qualitative Study Exploring Patient Experiences of Non-Specific Abdominal Pain in Acute Surgical Care

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen

Non-specific abdominal pain is a common but diagnostically difficult presentation in acute care, with limited understanding of how patients experience surgical same-day emergency pathways. This qualitative descriptive study used inductive thematic analysis of purposively sampled adults attending a surgical SDEC in England, using semi-structured interviews conducted at least two weeks after discharge. Findings identified uncertainty and fear, mixed communication and explanation during consultation, and unresolved distress after consultation, with inconsistent follow-up. Structured, patient-centred care with clear explanations and standardized follow-up may improve experiences and outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Acute abdominal pain and same-day emergency care centers

Knowledge gaps about patient experiences

Methods

Study design and sampling

Data collection and analysis

Results

Theme 1: Journey to the SDEC

Theme 2: The consultation

Theme 3: Post-consultation reflections

Discussion and Conclusion

Implications for communication and follow-up

Health Expectations ORIGINAL ARTICLE ‘How Does Nothing Show Up When I'm in So Much Agony?’: A Qualitative Study Exploring Patient Experiences of Non‐Specific Abdominal Pain in Acute Surgical Care Anna Kathryn Taylor1 | Daniel Romeu1 | Jess Dodd2 | Catherine Moriarty3 | Adam Peckham‐Cooper3 | Max Henderson1 | Elspeth Guthrie1 | Giles Toogood3 1School of Medicine, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK | 2Lived Experience Co‐Researcher, Leeds, UK | 3Department of General Surgery, St James' Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds, UK Correspondence: Anna Kathryn Taylor ([A.K.Taylor@leeds.ac.uk](A.K.Taylor@leeds.ac.uk)) Received: 7 October 2025 | Revised: 12 December 2025 | Accepted: 15 December 2025 Funding: Leeds Hospitals Charity, Grant/Award Numbers: A2002069, R3I02 Keywords: abdominal pain | acute surgical care | patient experience | qualitative research | thematic analysis | unexplained symptoms ABSTRACT Introduction: Non‐specific abdominal pain is a common and diagnostically challenging presentation in acute care, yet little is known about patient experiences within this setting. This study explores the experiences of patients attending a surgical same‐ day emergency care (SDEC) unit with non‐specific abdominal pain. Design: Qualitative descriptive study using inductive thematic analysis. Methods: 23 adults (aged ≥ 18years) presenting with acute non‐specific abdominal pain to a surgical SDEC in England were purposively sampled. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted at least 2 weeks after discharge and thematically analysed inductively, iteratively and collaboratively by a team of psychiatrists, surgeons and a lived experience co‐researcher. Results: Three themes were identified: (1) The journey to the SDEC—participants described uncertainty and fear about potential diagnoses and varied thresholds for help‐seeking,(2) The consultation—while many appreciated rapid access to care, experiences of communication and explanation were mixed, with some feeling dismissed or confused by the absence of a clear diagnosis, and (3) Post‐consultation reflections—some felt reassured by normal test results, while others struggled with persistent symptoms, a lack of follow‐up, and ongoing uncertainty. Discussions around psychosocial factors were rare. Conclusions: Acute non‐specific abdominal pain can be distressing for patients, even after attending acute surgical services, particularly when communication is perceived to be unclear and follow‐up is inconsistent. A more structured, patient‐centred approach, including standardised follow‐up, clear explanations and sensitivity to psychosocial factors, could improve experiences and possibly outcomes for this group. Patient and Public Contribution: A patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) group, comprising individuals with lived and living experience of persistent physical symptoms, shaped the scope and design of the research and co‐produced the interview topic guide. A lived experience representative was actively involved in data analysis, interpretation and manuscript preparation. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2025 The Author(s) . Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Health Expectations, 2026; 29:e70540 1 of 10 [https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70540](https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70540) 1 | Introduction Acute abdominal pain is defined as pain of non‐traumatic origin with a maximum duration of 7 days [1] and is the most common presentation to surgery [2], as well as accounting for 4%–10% of all emergency department (ED) attendances [3] . Same‐day emergency care centres (SDECs) have been introduced to rapidly assess and investigate patients presenting to the hospital wi

FAQs

What condition does the study focus on and why is it challenging?

The study focuses on non-specific abdominal pain in acute care. It is diagnostically challenging because investigations may be normal, leaving patients without a clear diagnosis.

How was the research conducted?

The study used a qualitative descriptive design with inductive thematic analysis. Twenty-three adults were purposively sampled and interviewed at least two weeks after discharge, with analysis done iteratively and collaboratively.

What did patients report during and after attending acute surgical care?

Patients described uncertainty and fear on the journey to the SDEC, mixed experiences of communication and explanation during consultation, and varied outcomes afterward—some were reassured by normal tests, while others struggled with persistent symptoms and limited follow-up.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen