This research project is designed to utilize the Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative (CORI) database to perform an outcomes study in patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy for symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Furthermore this study is designed to prospectively investigate whether patients with reflux symptoms referred for endoscopy demonstrate differences in quality of life at three months and six months after the procedure and whether the findings demonstrated with endoscopy have an impact on outcomes as well. Additionally this study is designed to compare the rates of subsequent health care utilization among patients with the various endoscopic findings seen in patients with reflux disease. This research project is novel in that it will use an endoscopic database not only to ensure inclusion of patients from community- based practices but to consent, enroll and stratify patients as well as to longitudinally follow this patient population. In addition, since long-term outcomes data regarding patients with GERD is currently lacking, this project will add significant information on the quality of life and health care resources utilization to the existing literature.
