Do Patients’ and Physicians’ Perspectives Differ on Preferences for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment?

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent disorder of gut–brain interaction and poses a significant burden to patients. Pharmacotherapy, diet, and psychotherapy all have largely comparable clinical efficacy. Therefore, factors outside efficacy can have an important impact in determining preferences for a specific therapeutic entity. The aim of this study was to compare the patient and physician perspectives and identify important treatment characteristics regarding the management of IBS. Semistructured interviews were performed among IBS patients (n = 8), fulfilling the Rome IV criteria, and surveys were sent to physicians involved in IBS care (n = 15). Nine important treatment characteristics were revealed: effectiveness, time until response, cessation of response, side effects, location, waiting period, treatment burden, frequency of healthcare appointments, and willingness to pay. Time to response, location, and waiting time were less important for patients compared to physicians. This study assessed important IBS treatment characteristics and provided context to preferences from a patient and physician perspective. These data could be relevant during shared decision-making in clinical practice.