Perceptions and Practices of Primary Care Providers in Europe and the US in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Multinational Survey

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11110%2F25%3A10495429" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11110/25:10495429 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=ouqw4tjwj2" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=ouqw4tjwj2</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nmo.14967" target="_blank" >10.1111/nmo.14967</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Perceptions and Practices of Primary Care Providers in Europe and the US in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Multinational Survey

Original language description

Background: The knowledge and proficiency of primary care practitioners (PCPs) in diagnosing and managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remain generally low and variable internationally. This variability is partly due to a lack of familiarity with the Rome Foundation diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines for this condition. Methods: We conducted an electronic survey of PCPs in the United States and nine European countries to assess their understanding of IBS pathophysiology; the use of Rome IV criteria in diagnosis, knowledge of and frequency in prescribing various recommended treatments; and the likelihood of referring patients with suspected IBS to subspecialists. Results: Most PCPs in the United States and Europe perceive IBS as a diagnosis of exclusion rather than a definitive diagnosis. They also believe IBS is underdiagnosed in primary care and challenging to diagnose confidently. The majority of PCPs consider diet as a crucial component of IBS management. Notably, US PCPs reported greater confidence than their European counterparts in recommending dietary interventions such as increased dietary fiber, a low FODMAP diet, and gluten restriction. Conversely, both groups exhibited moderate to high confidence in recommending over-the-counter treatments. European PCPs showed greater confidence in treating IBS with antispasmodics and secretagogues, while US PCPs expressed greater confidence in prescribing neuromodulators. Additionally, US PCPs were more likely to refer patients with suspected IBS to a gastroenterologist, whereas both US and European PCPs showed similar referral patterns to dietitians and referred very few patients to mental health providers. Both US and European PCPs reported that IBS is moderately to extremely difficult to treat effectively and emphasized the importance of a strong and longitudinal doctor-patient relationship in managing the condition. Conclusion: Despite the Rome Foundation recommendations and criteria to support a positive diagnosis of IBS, most PCPs still rely on exclusionary investigations such as endoscopy and a serologic workup, while a significant percentage suggest referring patients to gastroenterologists.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

30304 - Public and environmental health

Project

—

Continuities

V - Vyzkumna aktivita podporovana z jinych verejnych zdroju

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Neurogastroenterology and Motility

ISSN

1350-1925

e-ISSN

1365-2982

Volume of the periodical

37

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

7

Pages from-to

e14967

UT code for WoS article

001425194800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85209924199