Publications
See publication list here
News
1019, April 4.
On April 2, a former patient came to the clinic with flowers and chocolate (unfortunately, we 'accidentally' ate a whole box of chocolates before we took the picture...).
This was an expression of appreciation on behalf of herself as well as other former and current patients and meant as an encouragement in a time where the debate about functional disorders can be heated.
Thank you very much!
2018, October 17
We have been informed by Columbia University that claims and information about a particular patient are spreading on the social media, including that this patient has received treatment at The Research Clinic for Functional Disorders at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. These claims are unsubstantiated and include misinformation.
It is a deplorable case that has affected all involved parties deeply. However, we believe that most people will understand that because of duty of confidentiality, we are unable to publicly discuss a patient without the patient's consent. Further, we find that it is disrespectful and a violation of a young woman to expose her suffering and making her illness history public domain. Even confidential medical information has been published on the internet. She has not approved to be a front figure in an ideological fight.
The Research Clinic for Functional Disorders is an outpatient clinic. In special circumstances, we share treatment responsibilities with other medical departments, which we did in this case. The admittance to a rehabilitation facility was an act of necessity according to Danish legal practice - a decision which The Research Clinic for Functional Disorders was in no way involved in and therefore cannot account for.
In Denmark, it would not be possible to carry out an action as described on the social media; it would be illegal. In connection with the admission, her parents have taken several legal actions in the courts, none of them having resulted in any negative critique of the treatment. Besides, the course of treatment has been scrutinized by an independent committee of the Danish Parliament, again without leading to any negative critique.
In general, we can inform that The Research Clinic for Functional Disorders has never treated any patients against their will or refused any patients to leave the department or discharge themselves. Thus, to postulate that I or any member of my team have violated human rights is outrageous. It is reprehensible to suggest that I or anybody in the clinic have initiated or contributed to children being removed from their homes.
Our clinic is a department at the Aarhus University Hospital, which has been rated the best hospital in Denmark in the past 10 successive years. Like any other medical departments in Denmark, we have to meet the highest medical standards and act according to the law and are continuously being supervised by The Danish Health Authority. We have received extremely few complaints from patients that have received treatment in our clinic.
The department, the research and the treatments we have developed since 1999 have proven very successful and are well accepted both by most patients and colleagues. Initiated by The Danish Health Authority, this has now resulted in the implementation of similar clinics for functional disorders in all Danish regions (see English summary on p. 6 in the report 'Functional disorders. Recommendations for assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and destigmatization', published by The Danish Health Authority, June 2018). https://www.sst.dk/da/udgivelser/2018/funktionelle-lidelser-anbefalinger-til-udredning-behandling-rehabilitering-og-afstigmatisering).
Per Fink, PhD, DMSc.
Professor, Head of Department
