Active not recruitingOBSERVATIONAL

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Medical Dismissal Scale

Have you ever felt dismissed or not believed by a healthcare professional? This study is creating a new questionnaire, the Medical Dismissal Questionnaire (MDQ), to measure these experiences. Many people with long-term conditions feel their symptoms are downplayed, which can affect their trust and health. The study wants to find out how common this is in the UK and how it affects people's health and wellbeing over six months. If successful, the MDQ could help improve patient care by giving healthcare providers a better way to understand and address patients' feelings of being dismissed. The study involves completing online surveys.

At a glance

Status

Active not recruiting

Sponsor

King's College London

Enrolment target

1,641

Start

19 May 2026

Estimated completion

01 Mar 2027

Any Condition

What is this study about?

This study is about a problem many people face when they see a doctor or other healthcare professional. Sometimes, people with long-term health conditions feel that their concerns are not taken seriously, or that their symptoms are put down to other causes without good reason. This can feel like being dismissed, disbelieved, or even 'gaslit' by the healthcare system. It's a growing worry that these experiences are common and can make people less willing to seek help, reduce their trust in doctors, and even impact their physical and mental health over time.

At the moment, there isn't a good way to properly measure how often this happens in UK healthcare. Without a reliable tool, it's hard to know who is most affected, or if efforts to make patient care better are actually working. So, this study wants to test a brand-new questionnaire called the Medical Dismissal Questionnaire (MDQ). This questionnaire was created after talking to real people who have used UK healthcare, to make sure it captures the different ways patients can feel dismissed.

By testing the MDQ, researchers want to see if it's a reliable and accurate way to measure these feelings. They will also look at how feeling dismissed relates to people's general health, their wellbeing, and how often they use healthcare services over six months. The aim is that this questionnaire could eventually be used in research and healthcare settings to better understand what patients go through and to help improve care for everyone.

Key takeaways

This study is about creating a new tool to measure if patients feel dismissed by healthcare.
It involves filling out online surveys over a six-month period.
Your input could help improve patient care in the UK.
You need to be a UK adult, 18+, with a long-term condition or persistent symptom, and have used healthcare at least 5 times in the last two years.
Your participation is entirely voluntary and confidential.
The study aims to understand how feeling dismissed affects people's health and wellbeing.

Who may be eligible?

To take part in this study, you need to be an adult aged 18 or older and live in the UK. You should be able to understand English well enough to answer questions about your health and have an email address and phone number.

Importantly, you must have seen a healthcare professional or tried to get healthcare services at least five times in the last two years for any health issue. You also need to have a long-term health condition (like asthma, diabetes, heart problems, or ongoing pain) or have experienced a symptom that has lasted for at least six months.

Unfortunately, you can't take part if you are under 18, don't live in the UK, haven't used healthcare services at least five times in the past two years, or are unable to give your consent to join the study.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 18 years old or over?
Do you live in the UK?
Can you understand and answer questions in English?
Have you seen a doctor or used other healthcare services at least 5 times in the last two years?
Do you have a long-term health condition, or a symptom that has lasted for 6 months or more?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part, you'll be asked to complete four online questionnaires over a total of six months. Everything is done online, so there are no in-person visits.

1. **At the start (Baseline):** You'll fill in the first and longest questionnaire, which will take about 30 to 40 minutes. This will ask about your background, any long-term health conditions you have, and include the new Medical Dismissal Questionnaire (MDQ) along with other questions about your trust in doctors, feelings of being misunderstood, mood, quality of life, pain, and tiredness. 2. **One week later:** You'll complete a shorter questionnaire, taking about 5 to 10 minutes. This repeats the MDQ and one other measure to check if your answers are consistent. 3. **Three months after the start:** You'll complete another follow-up questionnaire, which includes the MDQ and questions about your mental and physical health. 4. **Six months after the start:** This is the final questionnaire, similar to the three-month one, including the MDQ and health questions. After this, your participation in the study will be complete.

Potential risks and benefits

There are no known serious risks to taking part in this study. However, some questions might make you think about difficult experiences you've had with healthcare, which could be upsetting for a short time. Your participation will help researchers create a tool that could improve how healthcare professionals understand and respond to patient concerns in the future, potentially leading to better care for everyone. Taking part is completely voluntary, and you are free to withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason, and it will not affect your medical care.

Locations (1)

Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience
Verified postcode
London, United Kingdom

Common questions

What is 'medical dismissal'?

It's when you feel your health concerns or symptoms are not taken seriously, are disbelieved, or are put down to other causes without proper investigation by a healthcare professional.

Why is this study important?

It aims to create a reliable way to measure how often people feel dismissed by healthcare in the UK, which can help improve patient care and trust.

Do I have to share my medical records?

No, this study only involves completing online questionnaires. You won't be asked to share your medical records.

Is my information kept private?

Yes, all your answers will be kept confidential and secure. Your personal details will be kept separate from your questionnaire responses.

Will I get paid for taking part?

The information provided does not mention any payment for participation in this study.