The Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Viewpoint of Italian General Practitioners in Activity and in Training

Background: Guidelines on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are usually developed by specialists, with a possible translational gap in primary care. Aims: To evaluate the knowledge of IBS of Italian General Practitioners (GPs) and the difference compared to doctors in Training for General Practice (ITGPs). Methods: A questionnaire was completed by 170 GPs and 64 ITGPs. Results: The Rome Criteria and Bristol Scale are more familiar to ITGPs than GPs. The most frequently used diagnostic symptoms are abdominal pain, bowel movement frequency and bloating. GPs and ITGPs think that bloating and abdominal discomfort should be introduced into the definition of IBS. Intestinal motility disorders and psychological factors are considered to be the most probable cause of IBS. GPs report more frequently than ITGPs that the patient's request and difficulties in managing the disorder are reasons for a gastroenterological referral. Conclusions: There is still a gap between the indications provided by the experts and clinical practice, and this seems greater on the part of GPs than ITGPs. Abdominal pain and bowel frequency changes are considered the main symptoms for diagnosing IBS, but most GPs and ITGPs would like to include bloating among the diagnostic criteria. It would be highly desirable to develop commonly shared guidelines between gastroenterologists and GPs.