Acid Reflux Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Acid Reflux, including details on diet, gerd (gastro-esophageal reflux disease), treatment, symptoms.

Symptom assessment tools for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) treatment.

Fass R

The Neuro-Enteric Clinical Research Group, Section of Gastroenterology, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, AZ 85723, USA. Ronnie.Fass@med.VA.gov

Relief of symptoms, both typical and atypical, is the mainstay of therapy for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); however, evaluation of GERD symptoms' response to treatment has been hampered by the lack of a questionnaire that meets all the criteria of an ideal evaluative GERD symptom assessment tool. These criteria are: sensitivity in GERD patients, covering all symptom dimensions (multidimensional construct), assessment of frequency and intensity of "typical" and "atypical" GERD symptoms, practical and economical, easy to understand, responsive over short time intervals, use as a patient self-assessment tool, amenable to daily use, psychometrically validated, and translation into many languages with cross-cultural adaptation. Thus far, 14 instruments have been developed to assess GERD symptoms and potentially can be used to evaluate treatment response during a therapeutic trial in GERD patients. However, comparison of the different evaluative tools is needed.

Published 23 April 2007 in J Clin Gastroenterol, 41(5): 437-44.
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