Health maintenance and inflammatory bowel disease

Gaps Exist in the Comprehensive Care of Children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

OBJECTIVES

To describe patterns of primary and specialty care delivery in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), delineate which members of the healthcare team provided services, and identify gaps in care.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey of parents of children (2-17 years) with IBD and adolescents with IBD (13-17 years) at a free-standing, quaternary children's hospital regarding healthcare receipt.

RESULTS

There were 161 parents and 84 adolescents who responded to the survey (75% and 60% response, respectively). The mean patient age was 14 ± 3 years, 51% were male, 80% had Crohn's disease, 16% ulcerative colitis, and 4% IBD-unspecified. Most parents were white (94%), living in a suburban setting (57%). Sixty-nine percent of households had ≥1 parent with a bachelor's degree or higher. Most had private insurance (43%) or private primary with public secondary insurance (34%). Most patients received annual check-ups (70%), vaccinations (78%), and care for minor illnesses (74%) from their primary care provider. Check-ups for gastrointestinal symptoms, IBD monitoring, and changes in type/dosing of IBD treatment were provided by their gastroenterology provider (77%, 93%, and 86% of patients, respectively). Discussions about family/peer relationships, school/extracurricular activities, and mood were not addressed in 30%-40% of participants. Adolescents frequently reported that no one had talked to them about substance use (40%), sexual health (50%), or body image (60%); 75% of adolescents and 76% of their parents reported that no one had discussed transitioning to an adult provider.

CONCLUSIONS

There were gaps in the psychosocial care of pediatric patients with IBD. Coordinated, comprehensive care delivery models are needed.

Caregiver and Adolescent Patient Perspectives on Comprehensive Care for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Building a Family-Centered Care Delivery Model

BACKGROUND

Children with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) require primary and gastrointestinal (GI) care, but little is known about patient and family preferences for care receipt. We aimed to understand caregiver perceptions of current healthcare quality, describe barriers to receiving healthcare, and elicit caregiver and adolescent preferences for how comprehensive care ideally would be delivered.

METHODS

This was an anonymous survey of caregivers of 2- to 17-year olds with IBD and adolescents with IBD aged 13-17 years at a large, free-standing children's hospital. Surveys assessed patient medical history, family demographics, perceptions of health care quality and delivery, barriers to primary and GI care, and preferences for optimal care delivery.

RESULTS

Two hundred and seventeen caregivers and 140 adolescents were recruited, 214 caregivers and 133 adolescents consented/assented, and 160 caregivers and 84 adolescents completed the survey (75% and 60% response rate, respectively). Mean patient age was 14 years (SD = 3); 51% male; 79% Crohn's disease, 16% ulcerative colitis, and 4% indeterminate colitis. Caregivers were primarily female (86%), Caucasian (94%), and living in a 2-caregiver household (79%). Most caregivers reported that their child's primary care physician (PCP) and GI doctor oversaw their primary care (71%) and their IBD care (94%), respectively. Caregivers were satisfied with communication with their PCP and GI providers (>90%) but did not know how well they communicated with one another (54%). Barriers to primary and GI care varied, and few caregivers (6%) reported unmet healthcare needs. Caregivers and adolescents saw PCPs and GI doctors having important roles in comprehensive care, though specific preferences for care delivery differed.

CONCLUSION

Caregivers and adolescent perspectives are essential to developing family-centered care models for children with IBD.

Inflammatory bowel disease: Looking beyond the tract

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that encompasses Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Inflammatory bowel disease is not exclusive to the gastrointestinal system, as it has been identified to be associated with extraintestinal manifestations that encompass every other organ system in the human body. This review article will comprehensively review the current knowledge on extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, it will discuss the recommendations for screening and surveillance for extraintestinal manifestations in these patients since early appropriate diagnosis is imperative in preventing morbidity and cancer development.

Primary care management of ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease marked by mucosal inflammation. UC has an impact on quality of life and places a financial burden on the healthcare system. This article focuses on the impact, presentation, diagnosis and classification, systemic manifestations, complications, management, and treatment associated with UC.

Ocular, Auricular, and Oral Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is primarily a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, though it can often affect other organ systems. These extraintestinal manifestations occur in a quarter to one-third of patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. While musculoskeletal and dermatologic manifestations are the most common, it is also important to be cognizant of head, eye, ear, nose, and throat (HEENT) manifestations and educate IBD patients about them. Here we review the ocular manifestations in conjunction with the lesser-known but increasingly recognized ENT manifestations. Considering the lack of randomized controlled trials in treating HEENT manifestations of IBD, this review is primarily based on case reports, case series, and expert opinion with a particular focus on the newer literature supporting use of anti-TNF agents.

Vaccination practices in patients with inflammatory bowel disease among general internal medicine physicians in the USA

BACKGROUND

Increasing prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) poses significant challenges to medical community. Preventive medicine, including vaccination against opportunistic infections, is important in decreasing morbidity and mortality in patients with IBD. We conduct first study to evaluate general awareness and adherence to immunisation guidelines by primary care physicians in the USA.

METHODS

We administered an electronic questionnaire to the research panel of the American College of Physicians (ACP) assessing current vaccination practices, barriers to vaccination and provider responsibility for administering vaccinations and compared responses with the European Crohn's and Colitis Organization consensus guidelines and expert opinion from the USA.

RESULTS

All of surveyed physicians (276) had experience with patients with IBD and spent majority of their time in direct patient care. 49% of physicians took immunisation history frequently or always, and 76% reported never or rarely checking immunisation antibody titres with only 2% doing so routinely. 65% of physicians believed that primary care providers (PCPs) were responsible for determining patient's immunisation. Vaccine administration was felt to be the duty of primary care doctor 80% of the time. 2.5% of physicians correctly recommended vaccinations all the time. Physicians were more likely to recommend vaccination to immunocompetent than immunocompromised patients. Up to 23% of physicians would incorrectly recommend live vaccine to immunocompromised patients with IBD.

CONCLUSIONS

Current knowledge and degree of comfort among PCPs in the USA in preventing opportunistic infections in IBD population remain low. Management of patients with IBD requires structured approach to their healthcare maintenance in everyday practice, including enhanced educational policy aimed at primary care physicians.

Approach to the Patient with Mild Crohn's Disease: a 2016 Update

Mild Crohn's disease (CD) is classified as those patients who are ambulatory, with <10 % weight loss, are eating and drinking without abdominal mass, tenderness, obstructive symptoms, or fever, and endoscopically they have non-progressive mild findings. Initial evaluation of mild CD should focus on assessment for high-risk features requiring more aggressive therapy. In contrast to moderate-to-severe disease, where therapy is focused on mucosal healing, the management of mild CD is focused on symptom management, while exposing the individual to minimal therapeutic risks. Budesonide is the most commonly used medication for mild CD given its safety profile. Assessment of inflammatory markers, in concert with computed-tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) enterographies and endoscopic studies, should be considered in clinical remission to ensure that mucosal inflammation is not present. Endoscopic inflammation can precede clinical recurrence. Individuals with mild CD require routine vaccination, monitoring for iron-deficiency anemia and vitamin D deficiency, and colorectal cancer screening when appropriate.

Preventative Care in the Patient with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: What Is New?

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) do not receive routine preventative care at the same rate as general medical patients. This patient population is at increased risk of vaccine preventable illness such as influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia. This review will discuss health maintenance needs and preventative care issues in patients with IBD.

Ulcerative Colitis: Update on Medical Management

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease whose pathogenesis is multifactorial and includes influences from genes, the environment, and the gut microbiome. Recent advances in diagnosis and treatment have led to significant improvement in managing the disease. Disease monitoring with the use of therapeutic drug monitoring, stool markers, and assessment of mucosal healing have garnered much attention. The recent approval of vedolizumab for treatment of moderate to severe UC has been a welcome addition. Newer biologics, including those targeting the Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK) pathway, are on the horizon to add to the current armamentarium of anti-TNF alpha and anti-integrin therapies. The recent publication of the SCENIC consensus statement on surveillance and management of dysplasia in UC patients supports the use of chromoendoscopy over random biopsies in detecting dysplasia. This review highlights these recent advances along with others that have been made with ulcerative colitis.

Validation and Optimization of an Ex Vivo Assay of Intestinal Mucosal Biopsies in Crohn's Disease: Reflects Inflammation and Drug Effects

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic illness demanding better therapeutics. The marketed biologics only benefit some patients or elicit diminishing effect over time. To complement the known methods in drug development and to obtain patient specific drug responses, we optimized and validated a known human explant method to test drug candidates and pathophysiological conditions in CD intestinal biopsies. Mucosal biopsies from 27 CD patients and 6 healthy individuals were collected to validate an explant assay test where the polarized tissue was cultured on a novel metal mesh disk, slightly immersed in medium imitating an air-liquid interphase. After culture in high oxygen for 24 hours with or without biological treatment in the medium, biopsy integrity and penetration of antibodies was measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Nine cytokines were quantified in the conditioned medium as a read-out for degree of inflammation in individual biopsies and used to evaluate treatment efficacy. The biopsies were well-preserved, showing few structural changes. IHC revealed tissue penetration of antibodies demonstrating ability to test therapeutic antibodies. The cytokine release to the medium showed that the assay can distinguish between inflammation states and then validate the known effect of two treatment biologics confirmed by a detection panel of five specific cytokines. Our data also suggest that the assay would be able to indicate which patients are responders to anti-TNF-α therapeutics, and which are non-responders. This study demonstrates this version of an ex vivo culture as a valid and robust assay to assess inflammation in mucosal biopsies and test of the efficacy of novel drug candidates and current treatments on individual patients–potentially for a personalized medicine approach.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Skin Cancer: An Assessment of Patient Risk Factors, Knowledge, and Skin Practices

Objective. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk from skin cancer. Aims include assessing IBD patients' risk factors and knowledge of skin cancer and current skin protection practices to identify gaps in patient education regarding skin cancer prevention in IBD. Methods. IBD patients ≥ 18 years were recruited to complete an online survey. Results. 164 patients (mean age 43.5 years, 63% female) with IBD (67% Crohn's disease, 31% ulcerative colitis, and 2% indeterminate colitis) were included. 12% (n = 19) of patients had a personal history and 34% (n = 55) had a family history of skin cancer. Females scored better on skin protection (16.94/32 versus 14.53/32, P ≤ 0.03) and awareness (35.16/40 versus 32.98/40, P ≤ 0.03). Patients over 40 years old scored better on prevention (17.45/28 versus 15.35/28, P = 0.03). Patients with skin cancer scored better on prevention (20.56/28 versus 15.75/28, P ≤ 0.001) and skin protection (21.47/32 versus 15.33/32, P ≤ 0.001). 61% of patients recognized the link between skin cancer and IBD. Conclusions. The majority of IBD patients are aware of the link between skin cancer and IBD; however, skin protection practices are suboptimal. This emphasizes the role of healthcare professionals in providing further education for skin cancer prevention in the IBD population.

Providing Our Fellows in Training with Education on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Health Maintenance to Improve the Quality of Care in Our Health Care System

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) quality measures were established in an effort to standardize IBD health care. Despite effort to improve clinical performance, considerable variations in practice still exist. To further improve IBD health care, we propose incorporating an in-service educational session on IBD health maintenance to provide trainees with increasing awareness and knowledge on IBD management.

METHODS

Fifty electronic medical charts were randomly selected, and the level of quality documentation was assessed for 15 core IBD quality measures. Data were reported as the percentage of charts meeting audit criteria (compliance score). Fellows then attended an in-service educational session to review IBD quality measures and reinforce practice expectations. A second audit was then performed on an additional 50 patient charts to determine whether documentation practices improved after the educational session.

RESULTS

We found a positive correlation between an in-service educational session and fellows' compliance with IBD health maintenance. Overall, the fellows' compliance score increased by 18% (before intervention, 65%; after intervention, 83%; P < 0.0001). The intervention was equally beneficial irrespective of training level. Although the magnitude of improvement was comparable, the mean compliance score was highest in year 2 at 81% (year 1: 72% [P = 0.019] and year 3: 70% [P = 0.002]). Fellows expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the educational intervention and emphasized the value in reviewing the conceptual bases for IBD health maintenance.

CONCLUSION

Incorporating a standard curriculum on IBD health maintenance provides fellows in training with increased awareness and guidance on managing the unique preventive care needs of patients with IBD.