{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:50:51Z","timestamp":1787028651980,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,13]],"date-time":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1723507200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Noos","award":["Aggei Campus 2023"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Aggei Campus 2023"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Probiotics, which are live microorganisms that provide health benefits, have been extensively studied for their various clinical applications. However, despite their potential, high-quality data supporting their use in several gastrointestinal diseases are often lacking, and prescription behaviors can widely differ. This study aimed to assess different behaviors in probiotics knowledge and prescriptions among Italian gastroenterologists and healthcare professionals (HPs). Methods: A web-based electronic survey was distributed to all participants at the National Meeting of the Italian Young Gastroenterologist and Endoscopist Association (AGGEI) held in 2023. The survey investigated probiotic prescription practices for several gastrointestinal conditions, such as acute diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and diverticular disease. Results: Among 200 participants, 142 completed the survey, of whom 59 were gastroenterologists and 83 were HPs (surgeons, nutrition biologists, and other physicians). Significant differences were observed in the prescription of probiotics for the treatment of acute diarrhea and H. pylori. Both groups prescribed probiotics in monthly cycles for patients with IBS, although the majority prescribed multistrain formulations. Gastroenterologists were more likely to prescribe cyclic courses for IBS, while HPs tended to continue therapy by changing the probiotic strain in case of inefficacy. For ulcerative colitis, gastroenterologists prescribed probiotics more but for shorter durations. In Crohn\u2019s disease, gastroenterologists prescribed probiotics less and were less likely to prescribe multistrain formulations. Regarding SUDD, gastroenterologists tended to prescribe probiotics less frequently, although without a significant difference, with similar rates of preference for multistrain formulations. Conclusions: This survey highlights heterogeneous behaviors in probiotic prescription between gastroenterologists and HPs, with gastroenterologists more aligned with guidelines and available scientific evidence. Hence, enhancing probiotic education among healthcare professionals and gastroenterologists is crucial. Further studies are needed to better understand probiotics\u2019 role in gastrointestinal disorders through large-scale randomized controlled trials.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13164749","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,13]],"date-time":"2024-08-13T06:02:37Z","timestamp":1723528957000},"page":"4749","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Insights into Probiotic Prescription among Gastroenterologists and Other Healthcare Professionals: Evidence from an Italian Survey"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7167-8773","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Marasco","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Internal Medicine and Digestive Physiopathology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-0895-1225","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Angelo","family":"Bruni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"},{"name":"Gastroenterology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9554-4785","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Olga Maria","family":"Nardone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gastroenterology, Department of Public Health, University Federico II of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Loris Riccardo","family":"Lopetuso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CEMAD\u2014IBD UNIT\u2014Unit\u00e0 Operativa Complessa di Medicina Interna e Gastroenterologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Gastroenterologiche, Endocrino-Metaboliche e Nefro-Urologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario \u201cA. Gemelli\u201d IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"506","DOI":"10.1038\/nrgastro.2014.66","article-title":"The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic","volume":"11","author":"Hill","year":"2014","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"491","DOI":"10.1038\/nrgastro.2017.75","article-title":"Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics","volume":"14","author":"Gibson","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. 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