Eight questions helpful for assessing IBD in primary care

(HealthDay)—The CalproQuest, an eight-item questionnaire, is a feasible instrument for assessing patients for inflammatory bowel disease in primary care settings, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

Corinne Chmiel, P.D., Dr.Med., from the University of Zurich, and colleagues evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of CalproQuest for at least two weeks among 95 patients with unspecific gastrointestinal complaints who were seen in primary care settings.

The researchers found that 54.7 percent of CalproQuests were positive, with 41.1 percent of patients fulfilling two major criteria and 13.7 percent having one major and at least two minor criteria. General practitioners completed questionnaires on feasibility, which 87.4 percent assessed positively. Similarly, patient-reported acceptance was high (86.3 percent).

"Further prospective studies concerning validity and cost-effectiveness of a combined use with the calprotectin test in this setting are necessary," the authors write.