Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Quality of Life of IBD Patients

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients by limiting their access to medical services due to restrictions and the reorganization of the healthcare systems, which affects their quality of life (QoL). We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the QoL of patients with IBD. Materials and Methods: We conducted a descriptive observational study, which included 90 adult patients diagnosed with IBD. The study sample consisted of two subgroups: a retrospective-pre-pandemic group (group A) and a prospective-pandemic group (group B). Group A included 45 IBD patients who were evaluated in 2018. Group B included 45 patients with confirmed diagnosis of IBD, evaluated between June and December 2021—the period of the COVID-19 pandemic (prospective), consecutively recruited. All the patients filled in a QoL assessment questionnaire—IBDQ-32. Subsequently, the two samples were comparatively assessed. Results: The average values of the IBDQ scores were significantly lower in 2021 compared to those recorded in 2018: 145.56 vs. 128.3 (p < 0.05). We also we found significant differences between the subscores: IBDQ1 (p = 0.043), IBDQ2 (p = 0.034), IBDQ3 (p = 0.045), IBDQ4 (p = 0.025). Conclusions: IBDQ scores were significantly lower in 2021 compared to 2018 (p < 0.05), showing that during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with IBD had a more influenced QoL.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Outcomes in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review

“…The fear of COVID-19 and its association with other psychological and health outcomes in patients with IBD has been widely investigated. Emotional stress is a compounding factor for the symptoms of patients with IBD and could influence the severity of the disease [ 36 ]. Deterioration of health-related quality control in patients with PIBD was reported in the period during and after the quarantine for COVID-19, leading to an increased number of patients with active disease, as well as to reduced disease control [ 37 ].…”

Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Worsened Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease? A Longitudinal Disease Activity-Controlled Study

“…Results from empirical studies are, however, controversial. Some investigations found that, during the stay-at-home period, up to one third of IBD patients reported poor HRQoL and moderate to severe anxiety and depressive symptoms [39][40][41][42][43] whereas, in contrast, other investigations showed that disability and HRQoL were unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic [44][45][46]. The conclusions of those previous studies are, however, limited by the lack of a control for DA.…”

Laboratory Data and IBDQ—Effective Predictors for the Non-Invasive Machine-Learning-Based Prediction of Endoscopic Activity in Ulcerative Colitis

“…Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) measure the patient's experience of the disease and impact of treatment without the burden of extensive medical evaluations, leading to improvement in the patient's quality of life. In recent times, the attainment of living remission, which includes normalized health-related quality of life and the elimination of disability, has emerged as a therapeutic target and disease activity index [11,12].…”