*3.6. Treatment*

Almost all (98%) respondents believed that graded exercise therapy (GET) is a suitable treatment for ME. In addition, 61% believed that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), designed to assist patients to rethink their illness attributions and abandon the sick role, is also a suitable treatment. These results are summarised in Table 10.


**Table 10.** Respondents' opinions regarding specific therapies for ME.

#### *3.7. Interest in Further Education on ME*

The response to this was very positive. Participants were asked to respond to the statement: "After today's introductory lecture, I would like further more in-depth teaching on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis." A total of 36 doctors answered this question. The lower response rate may relate to having had to wait until after they had had the lecture before answering. Of those who responded, 20 said Yes, 3 said No, and 13 were Neutral. Therefore, only a very small minority (8%) did not want further teaching on ME. Over half of the respondents (56%) would welcome further education on ME, and the rest (36%) are presumably amenable to it, making a total of 92% who would be amenable to further education on ME. These results are summarised in Table 11.


**Table 11.** Interest in further education on ME.

*3.8. Summary of Results*

Overall, there was little knowledge of definitions of ME, or of its clinical manifestations and impact, and equally little knowledge of appropriate managemen<sup>t</sup> of the condition, with the consequence that patients with ME were likely to have imposed on them treatment that is at best ineffective and at worst damaging, like graded exercise therapy. Diagnosis was equally problematic, with little understanding of required clinical features, in particular the essential symptom of post exertional malaise.

The effect of all this ignorance is to put patients at risk, but a saving grace is the very positive response of participants to the prospect of further education on ME.

This audit study captures baseline data, which sadly confirms patients' perception that their doctors know little about ME and that many do not even believe it is real. By measuring participants' responses against the reasonable expectation that all participants should ge<sup>t</sup> all answers correct, it enables us to highlight errors in basic fundamental

understanding, such as the misconception that ME is partly or wholly psychological or psychosomatic. It also enables the highlighting of large deficiencies in education and clinical knowledge on ME, as well as dangerous prevailing ideas on treatment.
