By Dr. Benjamin Mitlyng, Gastroenterologist at MNGI Digestive Health
As a gastroenterologist, I spend my days talking with patients about heartburn, swallowing concerns, abdominal pain, bowel changes, liver concerns, inflammatory bowel disease, screening colonoscopies, and everything in between. One question I hear often is: “What more can be done?” when conventional treatments fail or are not an option. My answer almost always comes back to the same foundation: research.
Research is not an abstract academic exercise that happens far from the exam room. It is the reason we can offer better answers, safer procedures, and more personalized care than we could even a decade ago. I want to share why I believe research is essential and, more importantly, how it reaches you as a patient.
Research turns uncertainty into options.
Many gastrointestinal conditions are complex. Treatments that help one person may not help another. High-quality research—clinical trials, observational studies, basic science that explains how the gut, liver, microbiome, and immune system interact- provides evidence instead of guesswork.
When we study large groups of patients over time, we learn which screening intervals actually reduce cancer risk, which medications induce remission in Eosinophilic esophagitis, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis with the fewest side effects, and which patients are most likely to benefit from a particular therapy. That evidence shapes the guidelines I use when I sit down with you to make a plan. Without ongoing research, those guidelines would freeze in place while diseases and our understanding of them keep moving.
It improves the tests and treatments you receive
Think about how care has already changed. Colonoscopy techniques and bowel-prep regimens have been refined through study after study, making exams more comfortable and more effective at finding polyps. Non-invasive options for monitoring certain liver conditions have expanded because researchers validated blood- and imaging-based tools. Newer medications for acid-related disease, motility disorders, eosinophilic esophagitis, and inflammatory bowel disease exist because patients and investigators were willing to test ideas carefully.
Research also teaches us when less is more—when a medication can be stopped, when surveillance can be spaced out, or when a procedure is unlikely to help. Protecting you from unnecessary treatment is just as important as offering new ones.
It makes care more personal.
We are moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches. Studies now help us understand how genetics, the microbiome, diet, metabolism, and inflammation patterns differ between people. That work supports more tailored decisions: choosing a biologic with a higher chance of response, adjusting for drug metabolism, or identifying who needs closer follow-up after a polyp is removed.
Even “negative” studies help. Learning that a popular intervention does not work spares future patients false hope, cost, and risk. That is progress too.
Patients are at the center of the process.
Research only moves forward when people participate—by joining clinical trials, allowing use of de-identified data, completing questionnaires, or simply sharing their experiences in registries. Every protocol is designed with safety, informed consent, and ethical oversight. Many trials offer access to promising approaches under close monitoring while contributing knowledge that will help others.
You do not have to enroll in a study to benefit. The colonoscopy quality measures, the dosing schedules, the vaccine recommendations for immunocompromised patients, the strategies for managing IBS or fatty liver disease—these reach routine practice because earlier patients and clinicians generated the evidence.
Why I stay involved and why I talk about it
I support research because I have watched it change outcomes in real time: earlier detection of cancer, better control of inflammation, fewer surgeries for some conditions, and clearer conversations about prognosis. I have also seen how slow progress can feel when a condition is understudied. That gap is a call to keep asking better questions.
For patients, the practical message is hopeful. Asking your care team “Are there studies I should know about?” is reasonable and welcome. Research is how today’s best care becomes tomorrow’s standard—and how standard care keeps getting better. It is one of the main reasons I remain optimistic in a field that still has much to learn. Your health questions deserve answers grounded in rigorous study, not habit or hype. That is why research matters to me as your physician, and why it ultimately matters for you.
Visit our webpage to learn more about clinical research.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
