The use of quality of life tools in the management of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

The purpose of this review is to present the various indices used for assessing health-related quality, of life (HRQOL) in gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), examining the range of generic and disease-specific instruments available, their applicability and limitations and to overview the effect of gastro-esophageal reflux disease on quality of life. We particularly focus on the issue of non-correlation between endoscopic findings and symptom severity, as witnessed by non-erosive reflux disease, which is now recognized as an important, highly prevalent, manifestation of GERD. Quality-of-life instruments are useful in evaluating the impact of therapies and interventions. Impaired quality of life now forms part of the most recent, global definition of GERD, the impact of which goes beyond the symptoms alone. While the symptoms themselves have a negative effect on sufferers' lives, there are secondary, effects caused by impaired physical, emotional and social functioning on productivity. Non-gastrointestinal problems caused by GERD disease also impair quality of life. There is an ongoing need to develop instruments which truly measure the impact of gastro-esophageal reflux disease and which are readily interpretable to the individual patient and clinician.