Rome Foundation Releases Clinical Criteria to Better Meet Needs of Patients

RALEIGH, N.C., November 29, 2021 (Newswire.com) - The Rome Foundation has published a groundbreaking modification of the Rome IV diagnostic criteria of the Disorders of Gut Brain Interaction (DGBI - formerly Functional GI disorders) designed specifically for clinical practice. These new criteria use the same symptoms as the standard Rome IV diagnostic criteria but suspend the required duration and frequency of requirements. Currently, the Rome IV diagnostic research criteria require six months of symptoms and usually a higher frequency of symptom events. The new criteria published in Gastroenterology and authored by Douglas A. Drossman, MD, Chief of Operations, and Jan Tack, MD, Ph.D., President of the Rome Foundation was endorsed by the Rome Foundation Board of Directors.

In addition to meeting the Rome IV qualitative symptom criteria, these symptoms must be identified as "bothersome" enough to interfere with a patient's daily activities, cause worry or interfere with quality of life. The provider must also be certain that other diagnoses producing these symptoms have been adequately excluded. These clinical criteria are designed to help clinicians diagnose and treat DGBI in their patients sooner in time and when symptoms are bothersome enough to require treatment.

The clinical criteria do not replace the traditional Rome IV diagnostic criteria which are required for clinical, physiological or epidemiological research.

One of the authors, Douglas Drossman, MD responded that, "The new clinical criteria do not replace our well-established Rome IV research criteria. Rather, they are designed to meet the needs of patients needing diagnosis and treatment even if they do not meet the more rigorous Rome IV research criteria. Now practicing clinicians are able make a Rome IV diagnosis without waiting 6 months and they can help their patients sooner right at the point of care."

The Rome Foundation plans to determine the relevance of the new clinical criteria in clinical practice studies and determine their impact on patient and provider satisfaction, health outcomes and costs in the coming years.

The Rome Foundation is an independent not-for-profit global organization dedicated to supporting the creation of scientific data and educational information to assist in diagnosing and treating Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBIs), formerly called Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs).

Media Contact:

Johannah Ruddy, MEd
Rome Foundation Executive Director
[email protected]
505-263-4748

Source: Rome Foundation