Fibromyalgia (FMS) goes undiagnosed in as many as 3 out of 4 people who have the disease. Primary care providers (PCPs) are the first to evaluate patients; therefore, PCPs need to be able to recognize FMS, implement initial treatment, and refer for further consultation. The Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screening Tool (FDST), a validated instrument to identify FMS, can improve the speed and accuracy of FMS diagnosis. The purpose of this project was to familiarize PCPS with the FDST, evaluate their receptiveness to the tool, and train them in its use. The Leventhal, Diefenbach, and Levanthal, common sense model of illness provided the theoretical framework to guide this quality improvement project. A 45-minute in-service and accompanying reference manual was given to 4 participating PCPs, along with a demographic questionnaire asking about their age, race, gender, marital status, and years in practice. Following the in-service, a 10-question self-completed questionnaire consisting of a combination of open-ended and nominal scale yes/no questions, was administered. A thematic analysis revealed 2 primary barriers for diagnosis without the FDST: lengthy screening time and trouble differentiating FMS from a patient's other conditions. In response to one of the yes/no questions, the participants all replied that the in-service on FDST was helpful in diagnosing FMS. Implications for social change include improved diagnosis with a diagnostic screening instrument, improved quality of health care, and cost effectiveness at the system level for chronic disease prevention and management. This project demonstrates in a localized primary care setting that the FDST may offers PCPs a reliable method to diagnose FMS.

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