Patient-centered gastrointestinal function assessment technologies: a paradigm shift from traditional approaches to non-invasive innovations

Gastrointestinal function assessment has assumed an increasingly pivotal role in diagnosing and managing digestive system disorders, yet the widespread clinical application of conventional techniques remains constrained by ionizing radiation exposure, high procedural invasiveness, and heavy reliance on specialized equipment—limitations severely compromising patient acceptance and service accessibility. Guided by the patient-centered care paradigm, this paper systematically reviews the evolution of such assessment technologies, delineating the intrinsic limitations of radionuclide imaging, invasive manometry, and traditional electrogastrography in terms of safety, comfort, and accessibility, while synthesizing research progress and clinical evidence of non-invasive modalities like stable isotope breath tests, surface electrogastrographic mapping, wireless motility capsules, and wearable monitors. It also explores AI’s potential in integrating multi-dimensional physiological signals to support clinical decision-making and examines translational barriers from technical validation to routine practice. Accumulating evidence shows emerging non-invasive technologies provide clinically actionable insights while alleviating patient burden, but most current studies focus on diagnostic accuracy validation, lacking high-quality evidence for their benefits in guiding treatment or improving long-term prognosis. Future research should prioritize patient outcomes, rigorously assess technologies’ applicability and value in real-world settings, and facilitate innovation transformation from parameter measurement to patient-centric care and from laboratory to clinical practice.