Healthcare professionals' perceptions of fatigue experienced by people with IBD

Abstract

The study identified a gap in HCPs' knowledge and their understanding of the complexity of IBD fatigue and the full impact that IBD fatigue has on people's lives. There is a need for more research-generated evidence to enhance our understanding of the concept and the factors associated with IBD fatigue. Advances in the assessment and management of this complicated and poorly understood clinical symptom are needed in order to help enable HCPs to provide better quality care to people affected by IBD and IBD fatigue.

Roles of healthcare professionals in the management of chronic gastrointestinal diseases with a focus on primary care: A systematic review

“…Studies explored self‐management, the effectiveness of nurse‐led interventions, adherence to pharmacist advice, and the effectiveness of pharmacist/pharmacy‐led testing in a targeted case‐finding service. Studies investigating gaps in care addressed the lack of or variation in available care in the management of IBD, including gaps in communication (between primary care and specialized care providers), knowledge gaps among healthcare professionals, and the variation in the provision of IBD management and care . Finally, burden of disease studies evaluated the impact of gaps in and the delivery of IBD care that affect the overall management of IBD …”

The contribution of clinical and psychosocial factors to fatigue in 182 patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a cross‐sectional study

“…Fatigue can be described as a mental and/or physical overwhelming sense of tiredness, weakness or exhaustion which is usually unrelieved by rest or sleep . The subjective nature of fatigue makes it difficult to report, assess and understand by both patients and healthcare professionals . Fatigue has been associated with poorer quality of life (QoL), and fatigued individuals with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) show significantly greater work impairment than those without fatigue …”

Microscopic colitis: Struggling with an invisible, disabling disease

“…Other symptoms not related to the bowel also had an impact on everyday life. Among the main complaints was fatigue, which is one of the most common symptoms reported in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (Czuber‐Dochan et al, ). It is important to acknowledge fatigue, as this may encourage patients to talk about and consider it as a legitimate problem.…”