DR. SHRINIDHI B,DR. PREM BALAJI LANKAPOTHU,DR. SORNAVALLI V,DR. PALAGIRI YOGITHA VARMA,DR. MONIC VALENTINA J
DOI: https://doi.org/Background:
Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) is a lifelong gastrointestinal condition that alters the physical, psychosocial, and lifestyle areas of an individual adversely. Pharmacological interventions still form the core of intervening strategies, but numerous sufferers still have sporadic symptoms and difficulties in long term self-management. The purpose of his qualitative evidence review was to synthesize the evidence concerning lived experiences of adults and perceptions of and self-management approach of GERD.
Methods:
The search strategy consisted of a qualitative systematic review that was carried out in March 2025 on PubMed, web of science, and Google Scholar using PRISMA. The qualitative or mixed-methods study was qualified if it had a definite qualitative part, and it was aimed at adults (≥ 18 years) and was diagnosed with GERD. The analysis involved extraction of data with a predetermined template, evaluation with CASP Qualitative Checklist, and syntheses to follow up using the analysis method proposed by Thomas and Harden thematic synthesis outline.
Results:
The researchers included nine articles published between 2017- 2025 in different settings (USA, Canada, China, Taiwan, the Netherlands, and multi-country cohorts). There were three general themes, namely: (1) lived experiences and quality of life, which describes the extensive effect of physical, emotional and social burden of GERD; (2) perceptions of diagnosis and treatment, which indicated the existence of communication breakdowns, the impacts of long term use of medications as well as the need to educate individuals in an individualized manner; and 3) self-management desires and constraints, in which description of the complexity in maintaining lifestyle and dietary changes, due to cultural, social and logistical limitations.
