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Patient and Physician Surveys
Purpose
Three surveys were recently conducted to gain further insight into the impact of irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS) in the United States, including the symptoms, treatments, attitudes,
and behaviors of patients; the unmet clinical and educational needs of patients and physicians;
perception gaps between patients and physicians; and limitations of treatment options.
Two in-depth surveys were conducted from June through August 2000—a Gastrointestinal
(GI) Sufferer Study, with 1,013 sufferers of functional GI disorders, and a Physician Study,
with 711 primary care physicians and gastroenterologists. The third survey, the IBS
Medications Side Effects Study, was conducted in January 2002, with 668 patients diagnosed
with either IBS with constipation or alternating IBS. The methodology for these surveys are
described in the Appendix.
Much of the data discussed in this report were drawn from the women who participated in
these surveys. When available, data solely regarding women are presented. These “womenonly”
data were comparable with the total population of male and female participants. The
survey findings reinforce the conclusion that IBS has a significant physical, quality-of-life,
and economic impact and presents many challenges for both physicians and patients. This
report integrates the results from these surveys with published literature. It provides a broad
view of the effects of this often overlooked and underappreciated disorder on the patients
who suffer from it and the physicians who are challenged to diagnose, treat, and manage it.
Considerations
These surveys, which were commissioned by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, are
subjective and based on the opinions of the patients and physicians who participated in the
studies. This report interprets their results in the context of other published research.
The Physician Study revealed important trends that may also be applied to physician assistants,
nurse practitioners, or nurses who play a key role in the initial assessment and ongoing
management and education of IBS patients. These vital members of the health care team
also offer valuable insights, guidance, and reassurance.
For example, the positive role nurses can play in the care of women with IBS recently was
documented in a presentation at the Digestive Disease Week conference in May 2002. The study
(enrolling 103 women ages 20–45 years) evaluated effects of implementing a comprehensive
self-management program run by a nurse therapist (including stress management, diet,
cognitive restructuring, and relaxation). Compared with the other treatment groups—
patients receiving a one-time brief self-management consultation or patients receiving
usual care—those patients participating in the comprehensive program realized greater
improvement in their IBS symptoms.12
Lack of efficacy of conventional IBS options often leads IBS patients to seek a holistic
approach from alternative care providers such as homeopaths, herbalists, acupuncturists,
and hypnotherapists.13-15 This health care segment needs to be evaluated in future surveys.
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