Awareness of diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome in physicians in Shanghai / 中华全科医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate physicians' awareness of diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods Questionnaire was used to investigate awareness of diagnostic criteria for IBS among 782 physicians in 34 hospitals in Shanghai during August 2008. Results Overall, 82. 7 percent (647/782) of physicians surveyed thought they knew or partly knew diagnostic criteria for IBS. More than 70. 0 percent of physicians knew Rome criteria, but less than 25.0 percent knew other criteria. Awareness of current Rome criteria, whether mental symptoms included in it, and its time frame differed significantly among physicians in varied specialties (P ＜ 0. 01 ). Gastroenterologists had more knowledge about Rome criteria than other specialists, but most physicians, including gastroenterologists, did not fully understand its applicability. Conclusions Although gastroenterologists knew more about diagnostic criteria for IBS, their knowledge still needed to be perfected and updated. Awareness of diagnostic criteria for IBS was poor in nongastroenterological physicians and general practitioners knew it to certain extent.