In a prospective population-based study, we found that the early course of disease in patients with IBD in Asia was comparable with that of the West. Patients with CD frequently progress to complicated disease and have accelerated use of immunosuppressants. Few patients with early stage UC undergo surgery in Asia. Increasing our understanding of IBD progression in different populations can help optimize therapy and improve outcomes.
Summary
Australia has one of the highest incidence rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the world.
Early diagnosis and treatment for IBD is critical. For Crohn disease, in particular, this may change the natural history of disease and reduce disability.
Faecal calprotectin is a sensitive test that can be used by primary care physicians to assist in determining which patients with gastrointestinal symptoms may have IBD. This allows for prompt identification of patients who may benefit from endoscopy.
Regular re‐evaluation of disease status with strategies that can safely, readily and reliably detect the presence of inflammation with faecal biomarkers and imaging is important. To avoid the risks of cumulative radiation exposure, magnetic resonance imaging and/or intestinal ultrasound, rather than computed tomography scanning, should be performed when possible.
Drug treatments for IBD now include five biological drugs listed by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme: adalimumab, infliximab, golimumab, vedolizumab and ustekinumab. Such developments offer the possibility for improved disease control in selected patients.
During the first year after diagnosis, surgery and hospitalization rates were significantly higher in CD patients in Eastern Europe compared with Western Europe/Australia, whereas significantly more CD patients were treated with biologicals in the Western Europe/Australian centres.
Overall, 42% of patients had at least one instance of anaemia during the first year following diagnosis. Most patients were assessed for anaemia regularly; however, a full anaemia work-up was frequently neglected in this community setting.
Background: Advances in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) monitoring, greater number of available treatments and a shift towards tight disease control, IBD care has become more dynamic with regular follow ups.
Aims:We assessed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on outpatient IBD patient care at a tertiary centre in Melbourne. More specifically, we assessed patient satisfaction with a telehealth model of care, failure to attend rates at IBD clinics and work absenteeism prior to and during the pandemic.Methods: We conducted a retrospective, qualitative analysis to assess our aims through an online survey. We invited patients who attended an IBD outpatient clinic from April to June 2020 to participate. This study was conducted at a single, tertiary referral hospital in Melbourne. The key data points that we analysed were patient satisfaction with a telehealth model of care and the effect of telehealth clinics on work absenteeism.Results: One hundred and nineteen (88.1%) patients were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with the care received in the telehealth clinic. Eighty-four (60.4%) patients reported needing to take time off work to attend a face-to-face appointment, compared to 29 (20.9%) patients who needed to take time off work to attend telehealth appointments (P < 0.001). Clinic non-attendance rates were similar prior to and during the pandemic with rates of 11.4% and 10.4% respectively (P = 0.840).
Conclusions:Patients report high levels of satisfaction with a telehealth model of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, with clinic attendance rates not being affected. Telehealth appointments significantly reduced work absenteeism when compared to traditional face-to-face clinics.
Background
Preventive health measures reduce treatment and disease-related complications including infections, osteoporosis, and malignancies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although guidelines and quality measures for IBD care highlight the importance of preventive care, their uptake remains variable. This systematic review evaluates interventions aimed at improving the rates of provision and uptake of preventive health measures, including vaccinations, bone density assessment, skin cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, and smoking cessation counseling.
Methods
We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL for full text articles published until March 2021. Studies were included if they evaluated interventions to improve the provision or uptake of 1 or more preventive health measures in adult IBD patients and if they reported pre- and postintervention outcomes.
Results
In all, 4655 studies were screened, and a total of 17 studies were included, including 1 randomized controlled trial, 1 cluster-controlled trial, and 15 prospective interventional studies. A variety of interventions were effective in improving the rates of adherence to preventive health measures. The most common interventions targeted gastroenterologists, including education, electronic medical records tools, and audit feedback. Other interventions targeted patients, such as education, questionnaires, and offering vaccine administration at clinic visits. Few interventions involved IBD nurses or primary care physicians.
Conclusions
A range of interventions—targeted at gastroenterologists, patients, or both—were effective in improving the provision and uptake of preventive care. Future studies should involve randomized controlled trials evaluating multifaceted interventions that target barriers to adherence and involve IBD nurses and primary care physicians.
Summary
Background
Loss of response to anti‐TNF agents is a common clinical problem. Dose escalation may be effective for reestablishing clinical response in Crohn's disease (CD).
Aims
To perform a systematic review assessing the efficacy of escalated maintenance anti‐TNF therapy in CD.
Methods
EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and CENTRAL databases were searched for English language publications through to April 25, 2021. Full‐text articles evaluating escalated maintenance treatment (infliximab or adalimumab) in adult CD patients were included.
Results
A total of 4733 records were identified, and 68 articles met eligibility criteria. Rates of clinical response (33%‐100%) and remission (15%‐83%) after empiric dose escalation for loss of response to standard anti‐TNF therapy were high but varied across studies. Dose intensification strategies (doubling the dose versus shortening the therapeutic interval) were similarly efficacious. Dose‐escalated patients tended to have higher serum drug levels compared to those on standard dosing. An exposure‐response relationship following dose escalation was found in a number of observational studies. Randomised controlled trials comparing therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to empiric treatment intensification have failed to reach their primary end‐points. Strategies including Bayesian dashboard‐dosing and early treatment escalation targeting biomarker normalisation were found to be associated with improved long‐term outcomes.
Conclusions
Empiric escalation of maintenance anti‐TNF therapy can recapture clinical response in a majority of patients with secondary loss of response to standard maintenance doses. Proactive optimisation of maintenance dosing might prolong time to loss of response in some patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.