Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40267269›Full record

ArticleThe American journal of gastroenterology2025

Validation of Esophageal Global Symptom Severity as a Patient-Reported Outcome for Evaluation of Reflux Symptoms.

Walter W Chan, Matthew Schroeder, Allyson Richardson, Neemit Shah, Mayssan Muftah, Samya Muftah, Stefano Siboni, Marco Sozzi, Ming-Wun Wong, Chien-Lin Chen and 2 more

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in The American journal of gastroenterology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Walter W ChanDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1709-8230
Matthew SchroederDivision of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8358-8895
Allyson RichardsonDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-4723-7860
Neemit ShahDivision of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.ORCID 0009-0008-8679-0811
Mayssan MuftahDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6012-481
Samya MuftahDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Stefano SiboniDivision of General and Emergency Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0532-3135
Marco SozziDivision of General and Emergency Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1153-123
Ming-Wun WongDepartment of Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan .ORCID 0000-0003-0676-6800
Chien-Lin ChenDepartment of Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan .ORCID 0000-0002-9084-8210
C Prakash GyawaliDivision of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3388-0660
Milan Score Working Group

Funding

Research Training in Gastrointestinal and Hepatic DiseasesT32DK135449 · NIDDK · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI Jessica R. Allegretti · 2023 to 2026
$1.7M
NIDDK NIH HHS T32 DK135449NIDDK NIH HHS T32DK135449
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionVisual Analog Scales (VAS) are simple, easy for patients to comprehend, and require limited translation. We evaluated the value of esophageal global symptom severity (GSS) measured using VAS in assessing initial reflux symptom burden as compared with other validated questionnaires, esophageal symptom burden, and outcome after reflux management.

methodsWe analyzed pooled data from published historical cohorts of patients undergoing pH-impedance testing for reflux symptoms from 3 continents (North America, Europe, Asia). Univariate (Spearman correlation), multivariable (general linear regression), and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed to compare GSS with validated symptom instruments including gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire (GERDQ), GERD health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL), Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), and metrics from pH-impedance monitoring per Lyon Consensus 2.0.

resultsOne thousand two hundred ninety-six patients (mean age 52.0 years, 61.9% female) were included: 937, 197, and 162 from North America, Europe, and Asia, respectively. GSS significantly correlated with GERDQ (R = 0.455), GERD-HRQL (R = 0.440), RSI (R = 0.491), acid exposure time (AET) (R = 0.158), and total reflux episodes (R = 0.161) ( P < 0.0001 for each comparison). The mean GSS was higher with abnormal GERDQ, GERD-HRQL, RSI, pathologic AET, and conclusive GERD per Lyon Consensus ( P < 0.0001 each comparison). On receiver operating characteristic analyses, GSS was noninferior to GERDQ, GERD-HRQL, and RSI in predicting pathologic AET and total reflux episodes, and conclusive GERD. Percentage improvement in GSS after antireflux treatment significantly correlated with change in GERDQ (R = 0.536, P < 0.0001) and treatment satisfaction (R = 0.532 P = 0.0002). On multivariable linear regression analyses, percentage change in GSS remained an independent predictor of both change in GERDQ (β = 0.813, P < 0.0001) and satisfaction with antireflux therapy (β = 1.90, P = 0.0006). DISCUSSION: GSS correlates with other validated reflux questionnaires and discriminates abnormal from normal reflux burden in patients with reflux symptoms. GSS change also reflects reflux treatment outcome and satisfaction. GSS is a useful addition to patient symptom assessment before and after GERD treatment.

Indexed as

Gastroesophageal RefluxPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresAdultAgedAsiaEsophageal pH MonitoringEuropeFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNorth AmericaQuality of LifeROC CurveSeverity of Illness IndexSurveys and Questionnairesgastroesophageal reflux diseasepH-impedance monitoringproton-pump inhibitor therapy

Identifiers

PMID40267269
PMCPMC12316544

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.