Utilization of Dietitians in the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Members of the American College of Gastroenterology

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to identify benefits and barriers to using a gastroenterology (GI) dietitian for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) care. METHODS: A 25-question survey was electronically distributed to the members of the American College of Gastroenterology. Information pertaining to demographics, barriers, and values to using a GI dietitian for IBS patient care was collected. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-nine survey responses were collected. Although 56% of the GI providers feel they are trained to provide nutrition education, almost half (46%) sometimes, rarely, or never provided information to aid menu planning, label reading, or grocery shopping, and 77% spent ≤10 minutes for nutrition counseling. Of those with access to a local dietitian, 91% strongly agreed or agreed that having access to a GI dietitian would help them manage their IBS patient care more effectively, but 42% lack access to a local GI dietitian. DISCUSSION: Our survey identified gaps in nutrition-based interventions for IBS care.