Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2017

Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2017

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the National Institutes of Health to expand, intensify, and coordinate its activities with respect to functional gastrointestinal and motility disorders (FGIMDs), including by:

• expanding basic and clinical research into FGIMDs by implementing the research recommendations of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases,
• providing support for the establishment of centers of excellence on FGIMDs,
• supporting innovative approaches to educating health care providers and patients regarding strategies that improve patient-provider relationships and care,
• directing the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to provide the necessary funding for the continued expansion and advancement of the FGIMDs research portfolio, and
• directing NIDDK and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to expand research into FGIMDs that impact children.

The Department of Health and Human Services may engage in public awareness and education activities to increase understanding and recognition of FGIMDs.