A comparison of office-based physician visits for irritable bowel syndrome and for migraine and asthma
Kozma, C.M.; Barghout, V.; Slaton, T.; Frech, F.; Reeder, C.E.
Managed Care Interface 15(9): 40
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 1096-5645 PMID: 12244649 Document Number: 546871
Three years of data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed to assess resource utilization for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), asthma, and migraine. Adjusted for prevalence, IBS-related physician visits occurred at approximately the same rate as those for asthma and 2.6 times the rate of visits for migraine. Specialist consultations for IBS were of similar frequency to those for migraine and more frequent than those for asthma. Diagnostic and screening tests were ordered more often during IBS-related visits than during migraine- or asthma-related visits. Prescription rates were similar for all three conditions. In terms of resource consumption, this chronic disorder places a burden on patients that is comparable with that of such costly conditions as asthma and migraine.