The Coeliac Society of Ireland has developed a free, online self-assessment tool which aims to help people with undiagnosed coeliac disease. Users must first register to take the 10 minute test, which steps through a number of questions about current health and family history of coeliac disease.
The tool was launched as part of Coeliac Awareness week in May 2019, acknowledging that of the estimated 47,500 people in Ireland who are affected by coeliac disease, many remain undiagnosed, including thousands of children.
On completion of the online assessment, if the symptoms match to some of those of coeliac disease, the user will be encouraged to seek a medical diagnosis and will be provided with supporting information to bring to their GP.
The Coeliac Society of Ireland maintains it currently takes an average of 12-13 years from when someone first experiences symptoms, to when they are diagnosed. Furthermore, a quarter of those with coeliac disease were previously misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). By arming people with information for their GP, it is hoped a formal diagnosis can be achieved much faster.
The tool is similar to the one which was launched by Coeliac Australia in 2017, to help identify more than a quarter of a million Australians who don’t know they are living with coeliac disease, as part of a campaign to improve diagnosis rates across Australia.
