Las Vegas, NV (Feb. 7, 2019) -- It is estimated that 3 million Americans live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Currently, there are no cures for these diseases. For many patients, their disease impacts other areas of their health and well-being, including aspects of their reproductive and mental health.
Studies being presented at the Crohn's & Colitis Congress -- a partnership of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation and the American Gastroenterological Association, in Las Vegas, NV, from Feb. 7-9 - highlights the need to treat the entire patient and reinforces the role of patient-provider communication.
UC patients and GI physicians disconnected on communication priorities
Study Titles:
* Discordance of Communication Priorities Between Healthcare Professionals and Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: Results of a Global Ulcerative Colitis Narrative Survey.
o J. Colombel, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, et al.
* Patient and Healthcare Professional Views on Emotional Health and Intimacy in Ulcerative Colitis: Results of Global Ulcerative Colitis Narrative Survey.
o D.T. Rubin, The University of Chicago Medicine, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, et al.
Significance: The Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Narrative is a global survey of patients and gastroenterology physicians aimed at identifying the impact of the disease and comparing and contrasting perceptions of UC burden and management approaches. Key findings:
- Among patients and physicians, symptom control is a high priority. However, patients are more likely than physicians to prioritize cancer risk, fatigue management and emotional impact. This disconnect reveals opportunity for physicians to be mindful of topics that are of greatest concern to the patient.
- The majority of patients consider their UC mentally exhausting. Thirty percent of patients wished their GIs better understood the effect of UC on their mental health and only 52 percent of patients felt comfortable discussing emotional concerns with their GI. The study shows that impact of UC on emotional health should not be underestimated.
Pre-conception counseling needed for IBD patients
Study Title: Infrequent Counseling by Physicians on IBD and Reproductive Health Issues Reported by Patients in Conjunction with Low CCPKNOW Knowledge Scores in an Educated Cohort.
* A. Rao, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford, Palo Alto, California, et al.
Significance: Male and female IBD patients, ages 18-45, were surveyed about their reproductive health and education experiences. Results show that both male and female patients considered not having a child due to IBD; the majority among them did not receive prior reproductive health counseling. The study also shows the majority of patients pregnant after diagnosis did not seek GI care pre-conception and many stopped or changed medications during pregnancy without consulting a physician. The study shows patients want to receive more education on pregnancy-related topics and the need for proactive counseling by gastroenterologists on IBD and reproductive health issues.
- Featured resource: IBD Parenthood Project (http://www.IBDParenthoodProject.org) and care pathway (https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(18)35437-4/fulltext?utm_source=aga&utm_medium=hub&utm_campaign=ibd_parenthood_project&utm_term=ibd_pregnancy&utm_content=organic).
All abstracts accepted to the Crohn's & Colitis Congress will be published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases® (the official journal of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation) and Gastroenterology (the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association) on Feb. 7.
Attribution to the Crohn's & Colitis Congress® is requested in all coverage.