TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PATIENTS WITH IRRITABLE-BOWEL-SYNDROME

This study was undertaken by sending a questionnaire to 148 people suf fering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The respondents all were m embers of the IBS Network, a national independent organization formed to help alleviate the suffering and distress of people diagnosed as ha ving irritable bowel. They were asked about their symptoms, the medica l tests they had undergone, how they felt about the treatment they rec eived, and how IBS affected their lives. The study found that IBS affe cted all aspects of their lives: work, leisure, travel and relationshi ps. Sufferers indicated that they felt they would have coped better if they had been provided with more information about IBS, its possible causes and treatment, and greater sensitivity from members of the medi cal profession in dealing with them.