Subjective Needs and Thoughts for the Treatment of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Applying Q Methodology

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that requires lifetime management. Many studies have attempted to establish questionnaires and/or parameters to assess the quality of care for IBD patients. However, no study to date has investigated patients using the Q-methodology, which is subjective and has been studied systematically, to identify and categorize their opinions and subjective thinking about their disease and treatment. We have therefore aimed here to conduct a preliminary study of the Q-methodology to investigate the subjective thinking of IBD patients in Korea.

Q-methodology, a method of analyzing the subjectivity of questionnaire items, was examined in this study. Inputs from 50 IBD patients were classified into 34 normalized statements using a 9-point scale with a normal distribution. The collected data were analyzed using the QUANL PC program.

Using the Q-methodology, IBD patients were classified into type I, II, III, and IV treatment needs: medical staff-dependent, relationship-oriented, information-driven, and social awareness, respectively.

The subjective needs of IBD patients and their thoughts about the treatment can be classified into four types. Our findings suggest that we can establish a systematic strategy for personalized care according to patient type.