The vague nature of many gastrointestinal symptoms makes diagnosis of GI problems quite difficult.

A complete patient history and an adequate physical examination are necessary in order to gather as much information as possible. Although this is routinely done by the admitting physician, a nursing assessment must be completed as well.

Patients will quite often neglect to mention facts, which they consider insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant. A detailed nursing interview may elicit previously unmentioned, valuable information.