What do patients with irritable bowel syndrome know about their disorder and how do they use their knowledge?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder for which many patients experience a lack of information. By using a questionnaire, we aimed to explore how much knowledge these patients have, and what they find important to receive information and explanation about. Eighty-six subjects with IBS diagnosed in primary care and referred to a gastroenterologist completed the questionnaire before meeting the gastroenterologist.