title: Consensus guidelines for evaluating and treating patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in the primary care setting.
abstract: Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) disease represents a significant part of the primary care physician's workload and is ultimately responsible for a major portion of the costs relating to his or her drug prescribing. This paper outlines the scale of the problem and the possibility of a structured management plan for UGI disease. Although this type of strategy is not new, the International Gastro Primary Care Group (IGPCG) has approached it from a practical standpoint that addresses the concerns of general practitioners and the fears and anxieties of patients. In addition, the direct representation of this model with a cost-effective programme is the first opportunity to develop strategies, in primary care, for testing a protocol for the management of UGI disease. The approach is aimed at the primary care setting and is adaptable for use in different cultural groups and healthcare systems.
authors.affiliation: Didsbury Medical Centre, Manchester, England.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Whitaker
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003663:Decision Trees; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents