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complaint-related cognitions in referred patients with irritable bowel syndrome and subse quent health care seeking behaviour in primary care. Family Practice 1996; 13: 12-17. r Background. It is generally accepted that it is important to explore patients ' beliefs and fears about the meaning of their symptoms during medical consultations. Objective. To discover how referral behaviour of GPs and attention to dysfunctional cogni tions of medical specialists affect the subsequent health care seeking behaviour of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Method. Questionnaires were distributed to GPs and to doctors and patients at an out patient clinic in the University Hospital of Nijmegen. Results. The results of the present study indicate that doctors ' attention to the complaint-related cognitions of IBS-patients is also related to a reduced use of medical health ser vices in primary care. On the other hand, when referred IBS-patients continue to attribute their complaints to a somatic abnormality even after such an abnormality has been ruled out through extensive physical examinations, the subsequent use of medical health se