BACKGROUND
While Crohn’s disease has been studied extensively in high-income countries, its epidemiology and care in low and lower-middle income countries (LLMICs) is not well established due to a lack of disease registries and diagnostic capacity.
AIM
To describe the published burden, diagnostic/treatment capacity, service utilization, challenges/barriers to individuals with Crohn’s in LLMICs and their providers.
METHODS
We conducted a scoping review utilizing a full search strategy was developed and conducted in PubMed, Embase and World Health Organization Global Index Medicus. Two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts of all of the publications found in this search, reviewed selected publications, and extracted relevant data, which underwent descriptive review and was analyzed in Excel.
RESULTS
The database search yielded 4486 publications, 216 of which were determined to be relevant to the research questions. Of all 79 LLMICs, only 21 (26.6%) have publications describing individuals with Crohn’s. Overall, the highest number of studies came from India, followed by Tunisia, and Egypt. The mean number of Crohn’s patients reported per study is 57.84 and the median is 22, with a wide range from one to 980.
CONCLUSION
This scoping review has shown that, although there is a severe lack of population-based data about Crohn’s in LLMICs, there is a signal of Crohn’s in these settings around the world.
Introduction: Reducing substance-related morbidity requires an educated and well-supported workforce. The New England Office Based Addiction Treatment Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (NE OBAT ECHO) began in 2019 to support community-based addiction care teams through virtual mentoring and case-based learning. We sought to characterize the program’s impact on the knowledge and attitudes of NE OBAT ECHO participants. Methods: We conducted an 18-month prospective evaluation of the NE OBAT ECHO. Participants registered for 1 of 2 successive ECHO clinics. Each 5-month clinic included ten 1.5-hour sessions involving brief didactic lectures and de-identified patient case presentations. Participants completed surveys at Month-0, -6, -12, and -18 to assess attitudes about working with patients who use drugs and evidence based practices (EBPs), stigma toward people who use drugs, and addiction treatment knowledge. We compared outcomes using 2 approaches: (i) between-groups, which involved comparing the first intervention group to the delayed intervention (comparison) group, and (ii) within-groups, which involved comparing outcomes at different time points for all participants. In the within-group approach, each participant acted as their own control. Results: Seventy-six health professionals participated in the NE OBAT ECHO, representing various roles in addiction care teams. Approximately half (47% [36/76]) practiced primary care, internal, or family medicine. The first intervention group reported improved job satisfaction and openness toward EBPs compared to the delayed intervention group. Within-group analyses revealed that ECHO participation was associated with increased positive perceptions of role adequacy, support, legitimacy, and satisfaction 6 months following program completion. No changes were identified in willingness to adopt EBPs or treatment knowledge. Stigma toward people who use drugs was persistent in both groups across time points. Conclusions: NE OBAT ECHO may have improved participants’ confidence and satisfaction providing addiction care. ECHO is likely an effective educational tool for expanding the capacity of the addiction workforce.
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