Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is characterized by significant clinical heterogeneity. Conventional diagnostic approaches, including symptom-based questionnaires, empirical acid suppression trials, and single-modality objective tests, demonstrate limited sensitivity and specificity, often resulting in diagnostic inaccuracies and inefficient resource utilization. To overcome these diagnostic challenges, this article provides a systematic review of recent advancements and ongoing debates in GERD diagnostics, with a focus on the diagnostic value of multimodal parameters as outlined in the Lyon Consensus 2.0. It also explores the clinical relevance of emerging auxiliary diagnostic metrics. We emphasize that integrating clinical symptomatology, endoscopic findings, esophageal physiological measurements, and psychosocial factors (augmented by composite scoring systems and artificial intelligence), offers a promising strategy for accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment of GERD.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is characterized by significant clinical heterogeneity. Conventional diagnostic approaches, including symptom-based questionnaires, empirical acid suppression trials, and single-modality objective tests, demonstrate limited sensitivity and specificity, often resulting in diagnostic inaccuracies and inefficient resource utilization. To overcome these diagnostic challenges, this article provides a systematic review of recent advancements and ongoing debates in GERD diagnostics, with a focus on the diagnostic value of multimodal parameters as outlined in the Lyon Consensus 2.0. It also explores the clinical relevance of emerging auxiliary diagnostic metrics. We emphasize that integrating clinical symptomatology, endoscopic findings, esophageal physiological measurements, and psychosocial factors (augmented by composite scoring systems and artificial intelligence), offers a promising strategy for accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment of GERD.