Functional gastrointestinal disorders among healthcare professionals—hidden in plain sight?

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) disorders without a clear cause, often associated with motility disturbance, visceral hypersensitivity, changes in gut microbiota, and immune response. 1 FGIDs comprising irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), functional dyspepsia(FD), and functional constipation are incompletely understood and with a complex pathophysiology, accounting for up to a third of referrals to gastroenterology clinics, with symptoms such as epigastric pain, early satiety, postprandial fullness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. 2Indeed, nearly half the general population could meet the criteria for a FGID at any given time, what with the considerable overlap among conditions, more than two-thirds having seen a doctor in preceding 12 months, 40% using regular medication, and up to a third having had potentially unnecessary and avoidable surgery (such as hysterectomy or cholecystectomy), to address their symptoms. 3 It is now universally acknowledged that FGIDs have multidimensional and often negative effects on patients' personal, psychological, professional, and social well-being, with ramifications ranging from impaired quality of life to societal costs including (but not limited to) healthcare expenditure and diminished productivity, of similar magnitude to organic gastrointestinal disease, underscoring their fundamental importance to healthcare systems and society at large. 3,4 The wide prevalence of FGIDs in the general population notwithstanding, less is known about FGIDs among medical and healthcare professionals. [...]HCPs with FGIDs may experience reduced QOL and work productivity, impacting patient care. 10,11 For instance, they may need to take time off work or be less focused with patients, with potential risk of medical errors and its undesirable or serious consequences. Hospitals and healthcare organizations can encourage regular exercise and offer stress management programs such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive-behavioral therapy. 10 These interventions can improve the physical and mental health of HCPs, leading to reduced levels of stress, improved sleep quality, and increased work productivity and indeed quality of patient care delivered.