Review article: inflammatory bowel disease--empowering the patient and improving outcome

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Chronic Disease Management
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) management relies heavily on specialist clinician visits, leading to patient disempowerment and disengagement.
• Current appointment systems are inefficient for relapsing/remitting conditions, causing patient inconvenience and noncompliance.
• Self-care is a fundamental aspect of health, with formalized guided self-management showing promise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the effectiveness and patient acceptability of guided self-management strategies for inflammatory bowel disease.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to implementing guided self-management in IBD care.
• To assess the impact of guided self-management on health service utilization and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent studies on guided self-management in stable ulcerative colitis.
• Analysis of patient and clinician perspectives on shared decision-making in chronic disease management.
• Exploration of potential barriers, including clinician reluctance and patient preferences.

Main Results:

• Guided self-management in stable ulcerative colitis patients led to reduced healthcare service use.
• Patients experienced faster access to treatment and high acceptability of self-management approaches.
• No compromise in health outcomes was observed in studies of guided self-management.

Conclusions:

• Guided self-management offers a promising approach to improve inflammatory bowel disease care by enhancing patient compliance and engagement.
• Addressing barriers, such as clinician hesitancy and patient preferences, is crucial for successful implementation.
• Further research is needed to confirm long-term outcomes, but initial indications suggest improved patient responsibility and well-being.