Background: Moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are associated with substantial quality of life and economic burdens (Kawalec, 2016). The Communicating Needs and Features of IBD Experiences (CONFIDE) study aims to further the understanding of the experience and impact of symptoms on patients' lives and elucidate any gaps in communication between healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients with moderate-to-severe UC and CD in the United States (US), Europe, and Japan. These data focus on US patients with UC and US HCPs.
Methods: An online, quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with HCPs (n=200) and patients with moderate-to-severe UC (n=200) in the US between May (HCPs) and July (patients) 2021. Moderate-to-severe UC was defined using criteria based on previous treatment experience, steroid use and/or hospitalization. The HCP survey included physicians (89%) and non-physician HCPs (11%) who are responsible for making prescribing decisions. Data collected included perspectives on the experience and impact of symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe UC.
Results: The top three symptoms currently (past month) and ever suffered by patients (mean age: 40.4, 61.5% male) were diarrhea (62.5% and 74.0%, respectively), bowel urgency (47.0% and 61.5%) and increased stool frequency (38.5% and 57.5%). Blood in stool was reported by 27.0% of patients as currently suffering, and 51.0% ever. According to HCPs (78.0% male), the top three symptoms reported by patients were diarrhea (73.5% ranked in top 3), blood in stool (69.0%), and increased stool frequency (37.5%). Bowel urgency was recorded in the top 3 patient-reported symptoms by 24.0% of HCPs. Patients self-rated their disease-severity as 10.5% (n = 21) mild UC, 71.0% (n = 142) moderate UC, 17.5% (n = 35) severe UC, and 1.0% (n = 2) patients did not know. Bowel urgency was more frequently reported in patients with severe disease (62.9%, n = 22) when compared with those with mild-to-moderate disease (42.9%, n = 70). Among the overall patient population, 76.5% (n = 153) were receiving advanced therapies (biologic or novel oral therapy). Bowel urgency was currently experienced by 46.4% of these patients. Only 38.2% of patients felt completely comfortable reporting bowel urgency to their HCP. Of patients not comfortable reporting bowel urgency, 62.2% (n = 23) reported they felt embarrassed talking about it. Among HCPs, 75.5% (n = 151) reported they proactively discussed bowel urgency at routine appointments. Those HCPs who reported that they do not proactively discuss bowel urgency (24.5%, n = 49) cited the main reason as they expect the patient to bring it up (46.9%, n = 23).
Conclusion: Bowel urgency is the second-most commonly reported symptom by patients with moderate-to-severe UC but is not among the HCP-perceived top three most reported symptoms. A substantial proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe UC receiving advanced therapies continue to report bowel urgency. A communication gap between patients and HCPs was identified and highlights the under appreciation of bowel urgency as an important symptom impacting patients' daily life.
Copyright © 2021 by The American College of Gastroenterology.