Development and pilot testing of an integrated, web-based self-management program for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Digital Health
• Patient Self-Management

Background:

• Medical practices often struggle to support irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patient self-management.
• Web-based interventions offer a scalable solution to bridge this gap.
• Patient empowerment in managing chronic conditions like IBS is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess an integrated IBS self-management program called IBS Self-care.
• To evaluate the program's impact on patient knowledge, self-efficacy, and quality of life.
• To gather user feedback for program refinement.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week pilot study involving 40 participants with mild IBS recruited online.
• Assessment of program utilization, user experience, and qualitative feedback.
• Pre- and post-intervention measurement of IBS knowledge, self-efficacy, and quality of life.

Main Results:

• The IBS Self-care program was rated as easy to use (93%) and relevant (95%) by participants.
• Significant improvement in self-rated IBS knowledge was observed (p < 0.0001).
• No significant changes were found in patient self-efficacy or quality of life scores.

Conclusions:

• The IBS Self-care program effectively enhanced user knowledge of IBS.
• The intervention shows potential as a low-cost solution to supplement medical care for IBS.
• Further research is needed to optimize the program for improvements in self-efficacy and quality of life.