title: Impact of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms on health resource usage and work absenteeism in Spain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the impact of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms on the utilization of healthcare services and work absenteeism in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study on 2,500 subjects representative of the Spanish population from 40 to 79 years of age. Data were collected via a telephone interview in January 2002 using Locke s questionnaire after its cross-cultural adaptation and validation for telephone use in Spain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GER is responsible for 296.8 doctor consultations (95% CI: 245.3-348.7) per 1,000 inhabitants per year, for 24 esophagogastrointestinal radiographic studies per 1,000 inhabitants per year (95% CI: 18-30), for 32.4 (95% CI: 25.5-39.3) high digestive endoscopies per 1,000 inhabitants per year, and for the loss of 201 (95% CI: 0-411.1) working days per 1,000 employed inhabitants with GER per year. In relation to medication intake, GER resulted in 4,092 (95% CI: 3,300-5,133) treatment days with H2 antagonists per 1,000 inhabitants per year, 9,030 (95% CI: 7,846-10,332) treatment days with proton pump inhibitors per 1,000 inhabitants per year, and 1,082 (95% CI: 519-1,549) treatment days with prokinetics per 1,000 inhabitants per year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GER has a large impact on the utilization of healthcare resources and work absenteeism in Spain, in contrast to the widespread belief that it is an illness of little importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Uninversidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain. erey.hcsc@salud.madrid.oeg
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moreno Elola-Olaso
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Artalejo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Díaz-Rubio
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology