The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Scranton, PA
Fouzia Oza, MD1, Hany Eskarous, MD2, Mina Daniel, MD3, Ashwin Ananthakrishnan, MBBS, MPH4 1The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, Scranton, PA; 2The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, Dunmore, PA; 3Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Cypress, TX; 4Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) significantly affects patients' quality of life. It is important to identify main sources of patient concerns to appropriately inform interventions that address this.
Methods: We systematically reviewed studies published between 1989 and 2022 that used the same validated tool, the Rating Form for IBD Patient Concerns (RFIPC), to assess concerns of patients with IBD. We examined if there has been a secular change in patient concerns over time, if there are geographic variations in overall concern level as well as individual outcomes of interest.
Results: Our review identified 35 studies from 12 countries that used the RFIPC to evaluate concerns of patients with IBD. We found that, despite the advances in IBD therapeutic options through the years, there has not been a corresponding decline in patients' disease-related anxiety (Figure 1). The range of RFIPC from 1989-1999 was (17.2-41.96) compared to the studies from 2004-2020 (28.7-47.5). In terms of geographic region, patients from northern Europe tended to report lower degree of concern while those from Southern Europe had higher concerns (Figure 2). There was limited data from Asia and other regions.
Among the 4 subcategories of RFIPC, Impact of Disease and Complications were uniformly rated the highest in all studies. In most studies, the top three rate concerns included need for a stoma ostomy, low energy level, and requiring surgery. Interestingly, only China noted financial difficulties as a top 5 concern while it was noted among the lowest five concerns in Europe and North America. The ability to have children was consistently among the lowest rated concerns in all studies apart from one study from Austria (1995).
Discussion: IBD impacts patients' lives, often disrupting their well-being and daily routines, affecting their overall quality of life. We find that despite therapeutic advances, patient anxiety about disease remains high particularly regarding the requirement for surgery (including stoma) and low energy levels. Management strategies should be tailored to address these concerns and identify novel therapeutic avenues that can complement existing therapies in addressing this disease-related anxiety.
Figure: Figure 1 .Graphical Representation of Mean RFIPC Score by Year FIgure 2. Graphical Representation of Mean RFIPC Score by Country
Disclosures:
Fouzia Oza indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Hany Eskarous indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Mina Daniel indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Ashwin Ananthakrishnan: Geneoscopy – Advisor or Review Panel Member.
Fouzia Oza, MD1, Hany Eskarous, MD2, Mina Daniel, MD3, Ashwin Ananthakrishnan, MBBS, MPH4. P2615 - Geographic and Temporal Differences in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patient Concerns Across the World: A Comprehensive Review, ACG 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Philadelphia, PA: American College of Gastroenterology.
