Integrated Care Model Improved Outcomes Patients With IBD

A recent presentation at Digestive Disease Week 2017 showed that integrated models of care improve management and outcomes of inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis.

“Integrated models of care for patients living with IBD have been implemented around the world to improve patient outcomes,” Juan Nicolas Peña-Sánchez, MD, MPH, PhD, clinical assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan, and colleagues wrote in their presentation. “These integrated models of care for IBD bring together multidisciplinary teams of health care providers including gastroenterologists, IBD nurses, psychologists, and dietitians to ensure timely and multifaceted care, appropriate diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. However, studies evaluating the impact of integrated models of care for IBD are lacking.”

The researchers conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study between 2009 and 2015 that included 2312 patients with IBD. They identified patients using billing data from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health. The study population included patients who were exposed to integrated models of care, while patients without exposure were used as controls. 

The researchers found that there were no significant differences in hospitalizations recorded between patients in integrated care and patients not exposed to integrated care. However, Dr Peña-Sánchez and colleagues found that the rate of surgeries was lower in the integrated care group. They also found differences in medication management, with higher biologic usage found in the integrated care group—while patients not exposed to integrated care had higher usage of 5-aminosalicylic acid immune modulators.

“Integrated care for IBD offers a healthcare framework to provide timely and high quality of care for patients with this complex chronic disease,” Dr  Peña-Sánchez and colleagues concluded.  “Health care professionals and policy makers should support the implementation of integrated models of care to improve IBD-related healthcare outcomes.” —David Costill