The Quality of Care for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Abstract

Improving the quality of healthcare delivery is a cornerstone of modern medical care shared between all stakeholders. However, effectively improving quality requires both an understanding of the tenets of healthcare quality and how they relate to an individual disease process. This is especially important for common diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), where wide variations in practice exist. The high prevalence of GERD coupled with wide variation in clinical approach results in significant economic burden and poor quality of care. Thus, GERD serves as a useful framework to highlight the opportunities and current challenges of delivering high-quality care. In this article, we identify quality metrics in GERD and the areas in need of research to improve the quality of the management of GERD. Additionally, we suggest strategies for improvement as it relates to the proper diagnostic testing utilization and the decision-making process.

Keywords: Evidence-based medicine; GERD; Healthcare improvement; Quality metrics; Quality of care.

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures/Conflicts of Interest: JEP: Consults for Covidien, Sandhill Scientific, and Given. RNK: Consults for Boston Scientific and Cook Endoscopy. The authors have no other reported disclosures or conflicts of interest.