Treatment Decision-making in Chinese Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rising in China, and the tendency for lifelong recurrence decreases patients' quality of life. However, no studies on treatment decision-making in Chinese patients with IBD exist. Thus, this study aimed to determine the actual and ideal decision-making, as well as factors affecting decision-making in Chinese IBD patients.

A multicenter online questionnaire was distributed among patients diagnosed with IBD. To assess factors that influence treatment decision-making, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.

From March 20, 2018, to May 20, 2018, a total of 866 patients completed the questionnaires, including 222 patients with ulcerative colitis, 588 patients with Crohn's disease, and 56 patients with unclassified IBD. There was a significant difference between ideal and actual decision-making in Chinese IBD patients (P < .005). The factors affecting ideal decision-making included income, education, illness severity, religiosity, the importance of the treatment decision, the employment situation, and occupation area. The factors affecting actual decision-making included age, illness severity, religiosity, the employment situation, economic anxiety, concern about the side effects, and the importance of the treatment decision.

There is a significant difference between ideal and actual decision-making in IBD patients in China. That is, the economy, religiosity, illness severity, and concern about the side effects of treatment are the most important factors affecting treatment decisions in Chinese IBD patients.