Care For Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Research Articles

Clinical Education: Psychosocial Assessment and Treatment Planning for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Psychosocial factors play an important role in the disease course and illness experience of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Consultation with a health psychologist is an important component of care for many IBD patients and provides an opportunity to identify areas of psychosocial concern, recognize coping deficits and strengths, and facilitate treatment recommendations. Psychosocial assessment in IBD requires a nuanced approach that goes beyond general mental health screening and considers the disease-specific concerns that impact patients. In this paper, we outline strategies for an IBD-focused psychological evaluation, including specific guidance for assessing disease-specific concerns of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, sleep, pain, body image disturbance, food-related quality of life, and psychological resilience.

P557 Data communication practices for reporting health care outcomes to improve quality of care: A scoping review

Abstract Background Value-based health care (VBHC) aims to improve care quality while minimizing costs. An important mechanism of VBHC involves monitoring and reporting health care outcomes to health care providers (HCPs) through data communication (DC) or data feedback. For complex diseases like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), unwarranted variation in care practices is ubiquitous. Health care data can be used to improve care by showing insights about achieved outcomes and practice variation to HCPs. While some tentative best practices for DC exist, a comprehensive overview is needed to gain a better understanding of how to effectively report health care outcomes to HCPs. This scoping review addresses this gap by examining the use and effectiveness of DC practices not only within the specific realm of IBD but also drawing insights from other clinical fields. Methods Studies that implemented and evaluated DC to engage HCPs with data and improve outcomes with qualitative or quantitative designs were sought. Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials and PsycINFO were searched for publications in English between 2010 - April 2023. Two researchers reviewed titles, abstracts and extracted data from eligible full texts. Results We screened 5,857 studies and included 239: 51 randomized controlled trials, 28 quasi-experimental, 121 pre-post intervention, and 39 qualitative studies. In 35% of those, feedback was implemented in acute care, 30% in primary care, 25% in tertiary care and 10% in other settings. Most interventions (76%) combined DC with co-interventions targeting HCPs’ intrinsic (providing education, post-feedback discussions) and/or extrinsic motivation (incentives, social influence). Additionally, 80 (33%) studies included nudges as part of co-interventions: action toolbox (n=38), reminders (n=28), posters to visualize compliance (n=12) and commitment messages (n=2). Best practices used in DC design included ‘benchmarking with peers’ (n=131), ‘timely feedback’ (n=141), and ‘active delivery of feedback’ (n=147). Most pre-post studies showed positive outcomes (96%), while only 63% of the studies with controlled designs showed positive improvements in outcomes. Conclusion The findings of our study highlight the use of DC (co-)interventions in various clinical fields. Additionally, we identified only few studies with controlled designs. In the future, studies with controlled designs testing the effectiveness of DC strategies and additive effects of different co-interventions are warranted to facilitate targeted improvements, particularly in the care of IBD patients, where care practices vary widely.

Implementation of a Teledermatology Electronic Consultation Program to Improve the Care of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Skin lesions are a common extraintestinal manifestation associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), although they may also appear as a complication of IBD treatment. Prompt referral to the dermatologist can be very helpful in practice. Teledermatology complements the traditional in-person health care modality, improving access to dermatological care. To evaluate the impact of a store-and-forward teledermatology electronic consultation (e-consult) program on the care of IBD patients. A retrospective study assessing the outcomes of our teledermatology program over its first 2 years of implementation. A total of 39 consultations involving 33 patients (69.2% women, mean age 39.6 years [12-63]) were conducted. The mean number of teleconsultations was 2.8 per month in the initial implementation stage: 33 consultations were carried out in patients with Crohn's disease and 6 in ulcerative colitis. Only 18% of the patients had an active flare-up. The most frequent reason for the e-consult was paradoxical psoriasiform lesions (n = 13, 33.3%), commonly related with anti-tumor necrosis factor agents (70% of the patients) and hidradenitis suppurativa (n = 4, 10.3%). Resolution was achieved in 87% of patients, with a mean waiting time of 4.7 days (0-14). Almost all patients (97%) were satisfied with our program, and considered the referral through the program to be appropriate (92%). Best valued features were the reduced waiting time and the coordinated approach between the two departments involved. Dermatology e-consult is an efficient and useful means of optimizing IBD patient care.

Is there a connection between depression and inflammatory bowel disease? A systematic review

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the principal types. Among the many symptoms characteristic of IBD, it is worth noting the symptoms of psychiatric disorders, often neglected in the therapeutic process. IBD's impact on patients' assessment of quality of life has been proven. Aim of the study: The purpose of this article is to review the literature in regards to the inflammatory bowel diseases in which depression occured and whether there is a connection between them. We also discussed various ways of treatment depression in IBDs.Material and Methods: The analysis covers the papers found in the PubMeddatabase. The search was conducted using the followingkeywords: “Inflammatory bowel diseases AND depression” (1,598 results), “Crohn’s disease AND depression” (892 results), “ ulcerative colitis AND depression” (823 records). Articles were analized with a particular emphasis on the most recent publications.Results: A total of 51 articles out of 3313 qualified for the review. There is a significant connection between frequent occurance of depression in the course of IBDs. However, because of the similarity of the symptoms of both diseases the depression diagnostic process is difficult and thus the number of patients with diagnosed depression isundervalued.Conclusions: Depression in IBDs is a important problem, it can exacerbate the symptoms and lower patients’ quality of life. To improve the holistic care of IBD patients, physicians should implement screening, at least widely available short scales or a few additional questions during an interview.

Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Disease Conference: The Impact of the Expert Pathologist on Patient Care.

Multidisciplinary teams (MDT) aid the diagnosis and management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and improve patient outcomes. The direct impact of a gastrointestinal expert pathologist on MDT care of IBD patients is unknown. A retrospective chart review was conducted evaluating all cases (N = 289) discussed at the IBD MDT conference at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital from June 1, 2013, through December 31, 2019. Cases were discussed between 1 and 6 times at the conference. Data collected included demographics, diagnosis before and after conference, reason for diagnostic change, endoscopy findings, medications, surgeries, and clinical follow-up. Approximately 15% to 42% of patients had a change in diagnosis after the first 3 conferences. The majority of diagnostic changes after the first (84%), second (73%), and third (67%) conferences were due to expert pathologist interpretation. Indeterminate colitis was the most frequently changed diagnosis, and Crohn's disease was the most common new diagnosis after conference. Among patients with a diagnostic change, 28.6% to 38.5% of patients had a change in their IBD medication regimen, and 7.7% to 10.9% had a surgical intervention after the first 2 conferences. Approximately 54.2% to 60% of patients reported clinical improvement or remission within 6 months of the first 3 conferences. The majority of diagnostic changes made at the multidisciplinary IBD conference were due to histopathologic re-interpretation. A change in diagnosis at times led to significant modifications in medical or surgical management. An expert gastrointestinal pathologist is an essential MDT member for IBD management.

Nutritional care at centres managing patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A nationwide survey in Italy.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at risk of malnutrition, but little is known about how IBD centres provide nutritional care. To assess how nutritional care is delivered at IBD centres across Italy. 120 IBD centres were invited to answer a web-based questionnaire. 76 questionnaires (63.3%) were completed. An IBD-dedicated nutritionist is present in 27 centres (35.5%). Fifty-two centres (68.4%) have an IBD multidisciplinary team, and 22 of these include a nutritionist. In the outpatient setting, malnutrition risk is evaluated at each visit in 23 centres (30.3%), while nutritional status is assessed at each visit in 21 centres (27.6%). These assessments are performed by a gastroenterologist in almost all centres (93.4% and 88.2%, respectively) and more rarely by a nutritionist (32.9% and 36.9%), dietician (7.9% and 2.6%) or nurse (3.9% and 9.2%). The decision to offer oral nutritional support is made by a gastroenterologist alone (35.5%), a nutritionist alone (23.7%), or a team of the two (38.2%). Nutritional care for IBD patients appears quite far from satisfactory in the Italian reality. Educational and structural interventions are urgently needed to improve assessment and treatment of malnutrition in everyday clinical practice.

Validation and Reference Scores of the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire in Adolescent and Young Adult IBD Patients.

Transition readiness can predict a successful transition from pediatric to adult care. This study aimed to validate and develop age-dependent reference scores for the (Dutch version of) Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ), in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). TRAQ has 20 items (score 1-5) distributed over 5 domains (total sum score 100) and is completed by AYAs. Following the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments methodology, we conducted the translation, back-to back translation, pretesting, and validation of the final Dutch version of TRAQ (TRAQ-NL) questionnaire. We used a Rasch model for structural validation, hypothesis testing for construct validity, and Cronbach alpha to demonstrate reliability. Reference scores were calculated using percentiles. Two hundred fifty TRAQ questionnaires were evaluated in 136 AYAs with IBD [56% Crohn disease, 58% male, median age 17.5 years (range 15.7-20.4)]. The overall mean item score was 3.87 (range 1.45-5). With good reliability (Cronbach alpha 0.87), TRAQ-NL discriminated well between knowledge levels, especially in the lower levels. Transition readiness was defined as low, moderate, adequate, or excellent in patients with TRAQ percentile scores (PC) <25th (<3.375 mean item score), 25th-50th (3.375-3.9), 50th-90th (3.91-4.7), or >90th (>4.7). Younger patients, concomitant illness, fewer visits to the transition clinic, and parental dependence were associated with significantly lower TRAQ scores. TRAQ(-NL) is reliable and valid, with age-dependent PC to identify (in)adequate transfer readiness. TRAQ can now be more easily used as a patient-reported outcome measure to monitor transition readiness longitudinally in routine care for AYAs IBD patients.

Obesity in adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease: Clinical features and impact on disability. A cross-sectional survey from the GETAID

In recent years, an increasing prevalence of obesity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been observed. However, only a few studies have focused on the impact of overweight and obesity on IBD-related disability. To identify the factors associated with obese and overweight patients with IBD, including IBD-related disability. In this cross-sectional study, we included 1704 consecutive patients with IBD in 42 centres affiliated with the Groupe d'Etude Therapeutique des Affections Inflammatoires du tube Digestif (GETAID) using a 4-page questionnaire. Factors associated with obesity and overweight were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses (odds ratios (ORs) are provided with 95% confidence intervals). The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 24.1% and 12.2%, respectively. Multivariable analyses were stratified by age, sex, type of IBD, clinical remission and age at diagnosis of IBD. Overweight was significantly associated with male sex (OR=0.52, 95% CI [0.39-0.68], p<0.001), age (OR=1.02, 95% CI [1.01-1.03], p<0.001) and body image subscore (OR=1.15, 95% CI [1.10-1.20], p<0.001) (Table 2). Obesity was significantly associated with age (OR=1.03, 95% CI [1.02-1.04], p<0.001), joint pain subscore (OR=1.08, 95% CI [1.02-1.14], p<0.001) and body image subscore (OR=1.25, 95% CI [1.19-1.32], p<0.001) (Table 3). The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in patients with IBD is associated with age and poorer body image. A holistic approach to IBD patient care should be encouraged to improve IBD-related disability and to prevent rheumatological and cardiovascular complications.

Intestinal MRI in Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Literature and Survey-Based Recommendations regarding Reporting by the German Radiological Society (DRG) and the German Competence Network for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

MR-enterography/enteroclysis (MRE) is increasingly used for primary diagnosis, detection of complications, and monitoring of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Standardization of reporting is relevant to ensure quality of the methodology and to improve communication between different faculties. The current manuscript describes the features that are required for optimized reporting of MRE in IBD. An expert consensus panel of radiologists and gastroenterologists conducted a systematic search of the literature. In a Delphi process, members of the German Radiological Society (DRG) and members of the Competence Network for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases voted on relevant criteria for the reporting of findings in MRE. Based on the voting results, statements were developed by the expert consensus panel. Clinically relevant aspects of MRE findings have been defined to optimize reporting and to standardize terminology. Minimal requirements for standardized reporting are suggested. The statements focus on the description of disease activity as well as on complications of IBD. Attributes of intestinal inflammation are described and illustrated by exemplary images. The current manuscript provides standardized parameters and gives practical recommendations on how to report and how to characterize MRE findings in patients with IBD. · Systematic overview provides practice-oriented recommendations and names and evaluates the decisive criteria for reporting and interpretation of MRI in inflammatory bowel disease.. · Standardized terminology and reporting criteria for MRI in IBD improves interdisciplinary communication.. · Standardized collection and documentation of MRI findings in IBD helps to further establish the method and to improve care for IBD patients.. · Wessling J, Kucharzik T, Bettenworth D et al. Intestinal MRI in Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Literature and Survey-Based Recommendations regarding Reporting by the German Radiological Society (DRG) and the German Competence Network for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2023; 195: 675 - 690.

P340 Issues on implementing treat-to-target approach in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa: Reality, gaps, and way forward -APMA IBD Coalition

Abstract Background To understand the real-world issues and difficulties in implementing treat-to-target (T2T) approach in managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMA) region. Methods A structured survey of 10 questions was sent to 19 IBD specialists from 14 economies/countries in the APMA region between June and August 2022, followed by three hybrid roundtable discussions to identify, elaborate and validate the gaps and challenges in T2T adoption in their healthcare setting. The survey used a series of questions exploring experts’ current practice and preference of treatment endpoints, diagnostic and monitoring tools, and major desirable improvement if resources are not constrained. Results The two major gaps expressed by of IBD specialists in the APMA region are to early diagnose and treat IBD patients (61.1%), and the lack of trained IBD nurses (50%) (Figure 1.The major gaps in the diagnosis and monitoring of IBD in routine clinical practice in APMA). While T2T approach is widely accepted among IBD specialists across the APMA region, blood tests (such as CRP, ESR) and faecal calprotectin (FC) test are two commonly used modalities by 77.8% and 72,2% IBD specialists, respectively However, the availability and cost of FC test is the second leading challenge (55.6%) faced by these specialists, with patient compliance being the most challenging (66.7%)(Figure 2.The biggest challenges in monitoring IBD patients in APMA). As to the most desired IBD monitoring tool, 88.9% considered the application of validated and reproducible intestinal ultrasound (Figure 3.Most desired IBD monitoring tool in APMA if resources are not a problem). The availability of trained IBD nurse (39%) and increasing awareness and training of general practitioner (33%) are the two most important factors that IBD specialists considered to improve care of IBD patients in the region (Figure 4.Major improvements required in diagnosis to improve IBD patient care in APMA). Conclusion Considerable gaps in implementing T2T approach to managing IBD patients in the APMA region are identified via this survey by IBD specialists. Lack of training of general practitioners, IBD nurses and availability of affordable FC are common issues identified in this region, which would deserve implementation of new educational initiatives and resources reallocation.

N05 Highlighting the critical contributions of Inflammatory Bowel Disease nurses in Canada: Perspectives from nurses, gastroenterologists, individuals living with IBD, and caregivers.

Abstract Background Multidisciplinary teams are essential in managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). IBD nurses play a critical role in improving patient outcomes and providing cost-effective quality of care. In Canada, access to IBD nurses remain inconsistent. There are more than 270,000 people living with IBD in Canada and fewer than 90 IBD nurses to care for them. This study was conducted to capture the value of IBD nurses, to identify gaps in resources, and to generate strategies for building IBD nurse capacity and enhancing the contributions of IBD nurses in Canada. Methods A convergent mixed-methods design was utilized to gather input from 4 stakeholder groups: IBD nurses, gastroenterologists, individuals living with IBD, and caregivers. Data collection was done through completing a review of the literature, stakeholder surveys, and one-on-one online semi-structured interviews with all stakeholders. Descriptive statistics were used for the quantitative analysis. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim then thematically analyzed. Results The IBD nurse’s role in clinical care was recognized as a value-add across all stakeholder groups. Having access to a specialized IBD nurse was recognized as a service that elevates the quality and continuity of patient care. As the interface between patients and other healthcare providers, there was recognition amongst stakeholders that IBD nurses are ideally positioned to educate patients about IBD management, general health promotion in the context of chronic disease and may support other aspects of care such as psychosocial, nutrition, and other extraintestinal manifestations or to help guide patients toward appropriate care channels. Many IBD nurses view advocacy as a logical extension of their official responsibilities, helping IBD patients to make treatment decisions and assisting them with disease challenges that affect their quality of life. Conclusion IBD nurses represent an underused resource in Canadian IBD care. Canada currently falls short of the recommended 2.5 full-time IBD nurse equivalents per 250,000 population. Achieving this objective will require a commitment to train IBD nurses and additional funding for their education and employment. The government can work with nursing institutions to set benchmarks, establish training programs, and create opportunities for IBD nurses in Canada. Introducing more IBD nurses into the system and using them to their full capacity makes sense from both a clinical and economic standpoint. It lifts the burden on gastroenterologists and primary care physicians, reduces costs to health systems while improving the overall quality of care for IBD patients.

P221 Validity of the Self-administered Comorbidity Questionnaire in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract Background The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) has defined a standard set of outcome measures for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to capture effectiveness of care delivery processes by systematic collection of outcomes. However, several case-mix variables can confound the outcome measures and should be adjusted for before interpreting and comparing outcomes. To account for the impact of comorbidities, the self-assessed comorbidity questionnaire (SCQ), containing 36 questions on presence, treatment and limitation of thirteen diseases, was selected by ICHOM. As the SCQ has been validated for other diseases, but not for IBD, we aimed to assess the validity of the SCQ for measuring comorbidities in a population of IBD patients. Methods Data in this study was extracted from a prospective study evaluating quality of care of IBD patients treated with a biologic or new small molecule. We assessed criterion validity by comparing patient-reported and clinician-reported presence (as noted in the electronic health record) of the thirteen diseases of the SCQ using Cohen’s kappa. Construct validity was assessed by evaluating the Spearman correlation coefficient between the SCQ and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), clinician-reported SCQ, quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), IBD-related healthcare and productivity costs and prevalence of disability. We assessed responsiveness by measuring the correlation between changes in the SCQ and changes in healthcare costs, productivity costs and quality of life after 15 months. Results A total of 642 patients were included. Median age was 49, 56% were female and 60% had Crohn’s disease. Median SCQ at baseline was 1.75 (IQR: 0.01 – 4.00) and increased to 2 (IQR: 0.26-4.00) after 15 months of follow-up. Fair agreement was found for most comorbidities, but agreement was poor for back pain, arthritis, blood diseases, stomach diseases, kidney diseases and depression (Table 1). Significant correlations were found between the SCQ and CCI, clinician-reported SCQ, quality of life, prevalence of disability and productivity costs, but not with healthcare costs (Table 2). A change in the SCQ after 15 months was negatively correlated with a change in quality of life, but not with a change in healthcare or productivity costs. Conclusion The SCQ seems a useful tool to adjust for case-mix for health-related quality of life in IBD patients, but does not relate to IBD-attributable healthcare or productivity costs. The SCQ does not always agree with the electronic health record, which may be due to inadequate capture of comorbidities in the electronic health record or because patients may confuse comorbidities and complications of IBD.

Perception of COVID-19 Pandemic Among IBD Clinicians and IBD Surgeons in Black Sea Region: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.

Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an increasing challenge in managing inflammatory bowel dis- ease patients both medically and surgically. Although several international and national medical/surgical associations published guide- lines in this area, there is still a huge difference between daily practices and these guidelines, especially depending on regional practices and governmental policies. Therefore, we aimed to investigate and define gastroenterologists' and surgeons' fear of COVID-19 and how they have managed inflammatory bowel disease patients during this pandemic in the Black Sea region. A 20-question survey was administered to 70 gastroenterology specialists and 80 general surgeons who are mainly focused on the management of inflammatory bowel disease in 5 countries in the Black Sea region. The majority of respondents (81.3%) mentioned that they have concerns that their inflammatory bowel disease patients were at risk of contracting COVID-19. In addition, the majority of respondents (80.3%) believed that inflammatory bowel disease itself, inde- pendent of medications, might increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. The majority of gastroenterologists told that they did not stop inflammatory bowel disease medications due to the COVID-19 pandemic unless patients had COVID-19 disease. Surgeons overwhelm- ingly reached a consensus on how to test patients for COVID-19 perioperatively and came to a conclusion on which of the patients can- not wait to be operated. Both gastroenterologists and general surgeons, usually have similar perceptions. Despite the increasing number of definitive studies, it seems that there are still regional differences in the perception of COVID-19 and inflammatory bowel disease patient care during the pandemic.

S901 Rural versus Urban Differences in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Hospitalizations: An Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS)

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a significant cause of adult hospitalizations in the United States. There are fundamental differences in demographic distribution, socioeconomic status, access to care, and healthcare infrastructure between rural and urban areas in the US. However, very limited data evaluating these differences is available. The study aims to compare outcomes of IBD patients in these two different settings and explore the causes for any observed differences. Methods: Data obtained from the national inpatient sample (NIS) 2016–2019 database was evaluated for IBD admissions in rural and urban hospitals of the US. The primary outcome assessed was inpatient mortality, while secondary outcomes included odds of developing bowel perforation, septic shock, perianal disease, need for RBC transfusion, total hospital charges (THC), and length of stay (LOS). Results: A total of 348,469 adult IBD hospitalizations occurred during the study period. Out of this number, 24,044 patients were managed in rural settings, while 324,425 patients were managed in urban settings. The mean age of rural IBD patients was 48 years old while it was 44 years old in urban areas. Rural IBD patients had shorter inpatient LOS (3.94 days vs 5.03 days, p< 0.001) and THC ($24,515 vs $48,754, p< 0.001) than urban IBD patients. There was no difference between patient groups regarding inpatient mortality, developing septic shock, bowel perforation, need for RBC transfusion, and odds of developing perianal disease. Conclusion: The current study indicates most IBD care variables assessed between rural/urban settings were not different. However, differences were observed in LOS and THC between rural and urban IBD patients. The high cost of health care in urban settings most likely contributed to observed differences in the THC due to advanced treatments not being readily available in the rural environment. Increased access to subspecialist practices more comforTable with IBD patient care in urban areas also may contribute to a prolonged LOS as they likely deal with more medically complex patients who require advanced diagnostic testing not available at rural institutions. Improved understanding of rural/urban IBD patient severity variations and care access/availability are needed to accurately ascertain the reason behind these differences.

The future of telemedicine and wearable technology in IBD.

Telemedicine has quickly become an essential part of modern healthcare, particularly in the management of chronic conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. The purpose of this review is to describe the current use of telehealth, mobile applications and wearable devices in inflammatory bowel disease and potential future applications. Telemedicine was increasingly used during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. Virtual consultations allowed clinical care to continue despite pandemic-related restrictions without compromising the quality of care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It also benefits patients who would not have access to care due to financial or geographical barriers. Mobile applications allow patients with IBD to record disease activity among other metrics, allowing for earlier healthcare provider intervention. Wearable devices are increasingly being explored to monitor physiological indicators of disease activity and flare. Telehealth and remote patient monitoring has been successfully integrated into the care of IBD patients. The advantages of these modalities include better access to specialist care and remote noninvasive disease monitoring. Careful consideration must be given to patient privacy, data protection and equitable access. These modalities have enormous potential to improve patient care through accurate consistent data collection and even the prediction of disease activity.

Blockchain Enabled Patient-Centred Care for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: 4 Principles for Socio-Techical and Clinical Alignment.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing and remitting illness. The presentation, diagnosis and management IBD are complex, and involve multi-disciplinary care with complex information requirements. The lack of an accurate and comprehensive patient record is often a stumbling block for optimal patient care. Blockchain technology therefore appears to be the perfect solution to improve IBD patient care. Blockchain technology can provide comprehensive and secure data transmission. Many current projects using blockchain for IBD care focus on information delivery. Recently, clinical research has shown that patients have different perceptions of what constitutes high-quality care, compared to healthcare professionals. Patient-centred care in IBD has increasingly taken central stage. Concurrently, blockchain in healthcare has shifted focus to argue for allowing the patient to be in the driver's seat for information access, facilitated by blockchain-enabled patient-driven interoperability and patient-driven care. This paper dissects the risks and benefits of these two approaches in using blockchain in IBD patient care. This paper then explores the socio-technical and clinical considerations in using blockchain in IBD patient care. Finally, this paper presents four key principles in using blockchain to improve IBD paper care, using collaborative participatory design involving patients, healthcare professionals, and health systems.

Telemonitoring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease amid the COVID-19 pandemic—A cost-effectiveness analysis

Background and aimCOVID-19 pandemic burdens the healthcare systems, causes healthcare avoidance, and might worsen the outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) management. We aimed to estimate the impact of pandemic-related avoidance on outpatient IBD management, and the cost-effectiveness of adding telemonitoring during pandemic from the perspective of Hong Kong public healthcare provider.MethodsThe study was performed by a decision-analytic model to estimate the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and cost of care for IBD patients before and during the pandemic, and to compare the cost and QALYs of adding telemonitoring to standard care (SC-TM) versus standard care alone (SC) for IBD patients during the pandemic. The sources of model inputs included publications (retrieved from literature search) and public data. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the robustness of base-case results.ResultsStandard care with pandemic-related avoidance (versus without avoidance) lost 0.0026 QALYs at higher cost (by USD43). The 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations found standard care with pandemic-related avoidance lost QALYs and incurred higher cost in 100% and 96.82% of the time, respectively. Compared with the SC group, the SC-TM group saved 0.0248 QALYs and reduced cost by USD799. Monte Carlo simulations showed the SC-TM group gained higher QALYs at lower cost in 100% of 10,000 simulations.ConclusionsStandard care for IBD patients during pandemic with healthcare avoidance appears to worsen treatment outcomes at higher cost and lowered QALYs. The addition of telemonitoring to standard care seems to gain higher QALYs and reduce cost, and is therefore a potential cost-effective strategy for IBD management during the pandemic.

Secondary Indicators for an Evaluation and Guidance System for Quality of Care in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centers: A Critical Review of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Quality of Care Center.

The number of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased remarkably in recent years. However, the level of health care for IBD patients varies greatly among regions of China. Standardization of health care for IBD patients is essential to improve quality of care (QoC). The mission of the IBD Quality Care Evaluation Center (IBDQCC) is to establish indicators for QoC. Since 2017, the IBDQCC has developed structure, process, and outcome indicators with the steering committee of IBD specialists and methodologists; 28 core and 13 secondary IBD QoC indicators were selected using a Delphi method. Applications for certification of IBD quality care units were made voluntarily and preliminarily screened through the IBDQCC committee. Regional units had to meet all core indicators, and units of excellence were required to meet all core indicators together with an additional 50% of secondary indicators. As of 2019 and 2020, 69 IBD units (all from tertiary referral hospitals) have been certified as regional IBD units in China. The certification of excellence of the IBD units is currently undergoing auditing. The awareness of and appreciation for QoC in IBD is increasing in China, especially through the quality control evaluation program initiated by the IBDQCC, with a higher number of IBD units applying for the next round of certification. Although secondary indicators seem to play relatively minor roles in QoC, they suggest additional requirements for high-level centers.

Endoscopic colorectal cancer surveillance in inflammatory bowel disease: Considerations that we must not forget.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease that primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract and is characterized by periods of activity and remission. The inflammatory activity of the disease involving the colon and rectum increases the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) over the years. Although prevention strategies are evolving, regular surveillance for early detection of neoplasia as a secondary prevention strategy is paramount in the care of IBD patients. In this review article, we discuss the current evidence of the risks of developing CRC and evaluate the best available strategies for screening and surveillance, as well as future opportunities for cancer prevention.

LOCAL IBD-EXPERTS DISSATISFACTION WITH BIOLOGIC MEDICATION AUTHORIZATION DENIALS - A SURVEY OF SPECIFIC CLINICAL SCENARIOS

Abstract BACKGROUND Treatment with biologic medications for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requires authorization by insurers. Insurance authorization denials are often a major obstacle in many clinical scenarios to use biologics, including specific denials of escalated dosing regimens directed by appropriate clinical indications. The objective of this study is to assess IBD-focused gastroenterologists’ (GIs) views and experiences on specific clinical scenarios resulting in biologic authorization denials. METHODS The survey was distributed by email to adult and pediatric IBD-focused GIs with 24 specific clinical scenarios, assessing experience and opinions on each authorization denial scenario. Survey data was recorded using REDCap software. RESULTS The survey was completed by 22 GIs including 17 adult GIs (81%), 4 pediatric GIs (19%), and one undisclosed provider. 70% or greater of participants disagreed with denials for (1) infliximab (IFX) dose-escalation, (2) Remicade in place of biosimilar, (3) facility-based IFX induction, (4) vedolizumab (VDZ) dose-escalation, (5) facility-based VDZ induction, (6) first-line ustekinumab (UST) therapy, (7) UST dose-escalation or re-induction, (8) UST maintenance after induction approval, (9) tofacitinib after mechanistic biologic failures, (10) VDZ or UST first-line in elderly or co-morbid patients, (11) facility-based biologic infusion for patients with prior acute infusion reactions. Variable experience was reported across the clinical scenarios ranging from 18.2% to 100%. In addition, variable experience was reported with the scenarios on whether specific denials were increasing in the past year, ranging from 16.7% to 90%. CONCLUSION This data portrays the collective experience of authorization denials as obstacles to using biologic medications, including escalated dosing, in multiple specific clinical scenarios. Many of these denial scenarios contradict treatment strategies that are utilized for optimal care of complex IBD patients. The data indicates many authorization denials reflect significant discrepancies between GIs and insurers on the clinical appropriateness of multiple different biologic treatment strategies. Broader survey data could better elucidate further experience with biologic treatment strategies that are being denied IBD patients, the nature of the obstacles created by insurers, and guide collaboration between physicians and insurers on best practices in the treatment of complex IBD patients.