Patient in focus: the way forward to promote wellbeing and delivery of health care in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Maslow's theory of the structure of basic needs and how unmet needs relate to anxiety and stress can be used as an underlying framework for clinical practice. The application of this theory is particularly pertinent to symptomatic conditions. In this paper patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease are used as an illustration of how better understanding of patient needs may promote well-being and improve delivery of health care.