Need for guidelines in gastroenterology for the general practitioner.

General practitioners base their clinical strategy on evidence-based medicine and experience. When prospective randomized controlled studies have not provided an answer to a specific clinical question, or when common practice in a certain area is not well established, guidelines formulated by specialists with in-depth knowledge of the field are needed. Studies have shown that gastroenterology guidelines have improved the approach to Helicobacter pylori infection and the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Failure to use these guidelines by general practitioners can lead to diagnostic inconsistencies and faulty patient care. This is particularly important in Israel, where the heterogeneous patient and physician populations are characterized by differences in the interpretation of symptoms, disease prevalence, and education.