The average interval between decision and initiation of appropriate, advanced therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was 43 days, Sarah Glover, DO, pointed out during her abstract presentation at the 2022 ACG Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course on October 23, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Dr Glover specializes in medical management of Crohn Disease, ulcerative colitis, and eosinophilic and mast cell disorders that impact the GI tract at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi.

Her oral presentation was named an ACG Newsworthy Abstract in the IBD category.

Dr Glover said that this gap of 43 days “impact[s] the health outcomes for patients with IBD. IBD patients may experience inpatient stays or even surgical interventions while waiting for their insurance company to prior authorize a prescribed therapy. This results in the overuse of steroids and creates health disparities in select geographic locations with primitive processes.”

After adjusting for variables, Dr Glover and colleagues identified 182 patients with IBD awaiting advanced therapies including biological agents such as infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, golimumab, certolizumab pegol, and vedolizumab, as well as oral inhibitors such as tofacitinib and ozanimod, for moderate to severe Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis.

The research highlighted that the average interval between decision and initiation of therapy was 40 days for commercial insurance, 49 days for Medicare, 45 days for Medicaid, and 42 days for those without insurance. During this interval, 14.3% of patients had an emergency visit, 14.8% were hospitalized, and 8.2% of patients required surgery. “It should be noted that these delays occurred despite having a full-time IBD pharmacist,” Dr Glover said.

She stressed the need to reduce delays in approving advanced IBD therapy to effectively reduce morbidity among patients with IBD.

—Priyam Vora

Reference:
Glover S. A0360 Hospitalization and surgery rates in patients awaiting approval of biologics or small molecules for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Oral paper presentation. Poster session A. Presented at: ACG 2022 Annual scientific meeting and Postgraduate course. Charlotte, North Carolina. October 23, 2022.