Conference Report

Abstract

There are several clinical problems that frequently present to general practice which are not of sufficient severity to warrant further investigation. These disorders are usually managed effectively by the general practitioner (GP) with routine examination and simple advice or treatment. Patients who repeatedly visit their GPs because of failure to respond to such measures are those most likely to be referred to specialists for a further opinion and possibly more extensive evaluation. As much research is still conducted in specialist centres, it is usually undertaken on this unrepresentative sample of patients. Conclusions and guidelines derived from this type of work are then transferred back to primary care where they may not be entirely applicable. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a typical example of such a disorder and since research in general practice is becoming much more widespread, now is a good time for this condition to be more fully evaluated in the pri-Peter Whorwell, consultant physician.