Drew Ebner
Research Mentor(s): Gal Hodish
Mentor Department: Internal Medicine – GastroInterology
Authors: Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg, Gal Hodish, Drew Ebner, Ken Resnicow, Sarah Hawley , Melissa Dejonckheere, Kathleen Swalwell, Peter Higgins, Sarah Krein
Session: Session 2 (10:00am – 10:50am)
Presentation Type: Poster 109
Abstract
Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, face several challenges in maintaining their health. Given that IBD is a chronic disease, it is necessary for patients to be able to self-manage their care to improve their quality of life and IBD symptoms. This study aims to identify the biggest challenges to inform more effective interventions. We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with IBD patients who have experienced a recent flare, which we defined as any form of treatment change within the last 6 months. These interviews were analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis, a process where each interview was reviewed with a study team to identify the key themes and insights. Through the analysis, we found the most common challenges include stress management, navigating care, and symptom management. Stress was found to exacerbate symptoms and managing fluctuating symptoms, such as pain and fatigue, often led to feelings of frustration. These results emphasize the need for an intervention more targeted towards people with IBD as opposed to chronic illnesses in general. Targeted support in stress reduction, care coordination, and symptom management could significantly improve self-management and overall well-being for individuals living with IBD.
