Aims in the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease: a gastroenterologist's viewpoint.

Relieving heartburn and healing esophagitis may appear to be primary aims in the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease, but systematic consideration of the issues demonstrates that there are discrepancies between the fundamental aims of medical management and the aims selected for study in trials of drug efficacy. The initial aims of management are those concerned with diagnosis, patient assessment and the provision of explanation and advice. The therapeutic objectives are alleviating symptoms, preventing complications and, if possible, avoiding recurrence, and should ideally be judged in terms of health gain, including quality of life improvement. Obtaining value for money, by maximizing the health gain in relation to the cost of the overall medical intervention must also be acknowledged as a desirable aim of management, with the proviso that physicians must always treat each patient as an individual and individualize clinical management appropriately.