Expert opinions on informational and supportive needs and sources of obtaining information in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a Delphi consensus study

Management of inflammatory bowel disease: a holistic approach beyond pharmacotherapy

INTRODUCTION

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) management extends beyond pharmacotherapy, incorporating psychosocial support, patient education, physical activity, and dietary strategies. These components are often overlooked despite their impact on quality of life (QoL) and treatment adherence. This review explores the role of non-pharmacological strategies in optimizing IBD care.

AREAS COVERED

This article examines the significance of patient-physician communication, disease-specific education, mental health support, exercise, and diet in IBD management. A strong patient-physician relationship fosters trust and adherence to treatment. Knowledge empowers patients, improving long-term control. Psychosocial challenges, including anxiety, depression, and fatigue, further complicate disease management, highlighting the need for timely interventions. Physical activity and dietary interventions play essential roles in reducing sarcopenia and malnutrition, though standardized guidelines are lacking. Literature was reviewed to assess their effectiveness and clinical integration.

EXPERT OPINION

Holistic, multidisciplinary care should be standard in IBD management. Education, mental health screening, and structured diet and exercise plans must be integrated into routine care. Medical training should emphasize communication skills and patient-centered strategies. Future research should establish evidence-based guidelines for implementing these approaches effectively, ensuring improved long-term outcomes for IBD patients.

Developing and evaluating a gamified self-management application for inflammatory bowel disease using the ADDIE model and Sukr framework

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and chronic nature of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) is a significant global concern. As the essential part of treatments approach, patient adherence to treatment protocols and self-management practices are crucial to = IBD management. Healthcare initiatives focused on chronic conditions are strongly needed to consider various aspects of gamification and how it can positively affect self-management.

AIM

The current cognitive study aims to develop a mobile application to integrate the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) instructional design model and elaborate on a gamification design based on the reputable Sukr Wheel framework.

METHODS

The current study uses the ADDIE approach to integrate behavior change strategies derived from the self-management theory using the Sukr Wheel gamification (My IBD Buddy) framework on the Android platform.

RESULTS

The final evaluation was conducted over 14 days. User satisfaction comprised 22 participants aged 20 to 64, all diagnosed with inflammatory bowel diseases. System usability was measured on a scale ranging from 50 to 100. The average usability score for the entire user group was 80.68, indicating a "good" level of satisfaction among the program users based on the ranking scale.

CONCLUSION

"My IBD Buddy" mobile application, equipped with gamification for IBD patients, enhances self-efficacy and self-management.

Effect of a gamified mobile-based self-management application on disease activity index, quality of life, and mental health in adults with inflammatory bowel disease: A protocol of a randomized controlled trial study

Background and Aims

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal tract disease subdivided into Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). There is currently no cure for IBD, and individuals with IBD frequently experience a lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL) than the general population. Gamification has become an increasingly popular topic in recent years. Adapting game design concepts to nongaming contexts represents a novel and potential approach to changing user engagement. This study will be conducted with the aim of evaluating the effect of a gamified mobile-based self-management application on disease activity index, quality of life, and mental health in adults with IBD.

Methods

A multicenter, parallel, two-arm, exploratory randomized controlled trial with a 6-month follow-up per patient will be designed to compare the impact of the gamified mobile-based tele-management system on primary and secondary health outcomes and outpatient visits in 210 patients with all types of IBD which are divided equally into a control group with standard care and an intervention group which will use the developed mobile application named MY IBD BUDDY. All patients will attend study visits at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks, and routine IBD clinic visits or telephone consultations based on randomization group assignment. Disease activity or disease activity index, mental health (anxiety and depression) symptoms, quality of life, self-efficacy, and IBD-specific knowledge will be measured at baseline with two follow-ups at 12 and 24 weeks.

Conclusions

In sum, the outcomes of our trial will demonstrate the impact of the gamified mobile-based self-management system on disease activity, quality of life, and anxiety and depression by means of interactive care and patient empowerment.

Trial Registration

IRCT: IRCT20200613047757N1. Registered November 16, 2021. Prospectively registered and visible at OSF (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AWFY9).

Inflammatory bowel disease patients' perspectives of non-medical needs

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) imposes a huge burden on the healthcare systems and greatly declines the patient's quality of life. However, there is a paucity of detailed data regarding information and supportive needs as well as sources and methods of obtaining information to control different aspects of the disease from the perspectives of the patients themselves. This study aimed to establish the IBD patients' preferences of informational and supportive needs through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

METHODS

IBD patients were recruited from different centers. Considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, 521 participants were filled a predefined questionnaire. This questionnaire was prepared through literature review of the recent well-known guidelines on the needs of IBD patients, which was further approved by the experts of IBD area in three rounds of Delphi consensus. It includes 56 items in four sections of informational needs (25), supportive needs (15), sources of information (7), and methods of obtaining information (9).

RESULTS

In particular, EFA was used to apply data reduction and structure detection. Given that this study tries to identify patterns, structures as well as inter-relationships and classification of the variables, EFA was utilized to simplify presentation of the variables in a way that large amounts of observations transform into fewer ones. Accordingly, the EFA identified five factors out of 25 items in the information needs section, three factors out of 15 items in the supportive needs section, two factors out of 7 items in the information sources section, and two factors out of 9 items in the information presentation methods. Through the CFA, all 4 models were supported by Root Mean Squared Error of Approximation (RMSEA); Incremental Fit Index (IFI); Comparative Fit Index (CFI); Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI); and SRMR. These values were within acceptable ranges, indicating that the twelve factors achieved from EFA were validated.

CONCLUSIONS

This study introduced a reliable 12-factor model as an efficient tool to comprehensively identify preferences of IBD patients in informational and supportive needs along with sources and methods of obtaining information. An in-depth understanding of the needs of IBD patients facilitates informing and supporting health service provision. It also assists patients in a fundamental way to improve adaptation and increase the quality of life. We suggest that health care providers consider the use of this tool in clinical settings in order to precisely assess its efficacy.