Consensus guidelines for evaluating and treating patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in the primary care setting.

Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) disease represents a significant part of the primary care physician's workload and is ultimately responsible for a major portion of the costs relating to his or her drug prescribing. This paper outlines the scale of the problem and the possibility of a structured management plan for UGI disease. Although this type of strategy is not new, the International Gastro Primary Care Group (IGPCG) has approached it from a practical standpoint that addresses the concerns of general practitioners and the fears and anxieties of patients. In addition, the direct representation of this model with a cost-effective programme is the first opportunity to develop strategies, in primary care, for testing a protocol for the management of UGI disease. The approach is aimed at the primary care setting and is adaptable for use in different cultural groups and healthcare systems.