Can my family doctor diagnose IBS or do I need to see a specialist?

Can my family doctor diagnose IBS or do I need to see a specialist?

Lin Chang (UCLA Division of Digestive Diseases) gives expert video advice on: How is IBS diagnosed?; Can my family doctor diagnose IBS or do I need to see a specialist?; What symptoms lead to a possible diagnosis of IBS? and more...

Any healthcare provider that knows the diagnostic criteria of IBS can diagnose IBS. We have found that most physicians, whether they're specialists or primary care physicians, don't actually use their own criteria. They do recognize that chronic or recurring abdominal pain associated with a change in bowel habits most likely signifies IBS. But to actually determine the number of healthcare providers that use the standard criteria, I think most don't. I think it's usually used by experts or for research purposes but any physician can make that diagnosis. It would be good to increase the awareness and education of physicians, which is being done, so everyone's familiar with those criteria and also to simplify the criteria so it's not so difficult to remember.