Abstract
BackgroundIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent disorder with significant negative impact on quality of life of patients that results in high healthcare use and costs. Improving healthcare outcomes for IBS patients is warranted, however the exact needs of IBS patients with regard to therapy and control of symptoms are unknown.MethodsFocus group interviews, using a two-stage model, were performed with twenty-three IBS patients meeting Rome III criteria and one mother of a patient, from four different regions from the Netherlands.ResultsTwenty-four participants were included of whom majority were female (n = 21), mean age was 43 years, and mean duration of IBS was 18 years. Five categories of patients’ perspectives were identified: clear communication, a multidisciplinary treatment team, centers of expertise, focus on scientific research and information about IBS that is widely available for patients.ConclusionsBased on these findings we highlight the need for IBS care givers to take these key items into account in IBS care. These elements aid clinicians, but mostly patients, in coping and management of symptoms and subsequent healthcare outcomes, reducing overall healthcare use and costs.
Highlights
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent disorder with significant negative impact on quality of life of patients that results in high healthcare use and costs
One participant included in the focus group interviews was the mother of a patient diagnosed with IBS according to Rome III criteria
Results from focus group interviews were clustered in the following themes: (1) communication, (2) multidisciplinary treatment team, (3) expert health care providers and centers of expertise, (4) scientific research, and (5) information tools for patients (Fig. 1)
Summary
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent disorder with significant negative impact on quality of life of patients that results in high healthcare use and costs. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the gutbrain interaction, characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. IBS is a prevalent disorder with female predominance [1]. As the disorder is chronic, symptoms of IBS patients affect the dayto-day life of patients to a large extent [2,3,4]. This results in increased healthcare utilization, and in a significant economic burden. Increased health care utilization results in direct costs, e.g. as high as 36% of total gastrointestinal related healthcare costs in the Netherlands[5], in indirect costs in terms of loss
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