Considerations for undiagnosed patients
Delays in IBD diagnosis and the importance of early detection and treatment
Importance of early diagnosis of IBD
Complications and progression
Delayed diagnosis can be associated with increased complications and disease progression, including increased need for intestinal surgery.
Early treatment benefits
Early use of immunosuppressive therapy has been shown to improve treatment response and reduce adverse outcomes.
Delays in IBD diagnosis
Delays in IBD diagnosis may occur due to a multitude of reasons
Symptom overlap
Patients may present with a wide range of symptoms that overlap with other conditions, making diagnosis challenging.
Systemic factors
Delays in access to care may also lead to diagnostic delays.
Ongoing symptoms
If IBD is not diagnosed and treated, patients can have ongoing symptoms, worsening disease, and poorer quality of life.
Specialist referral
Timely referral to and care from an IBD specialist/gastroenterologist are an important part of IBD management.
Patient perspective
What patients wish primary care clinicians knew about IBD diagnosis
Recognizing symptoms
“It would be helpful for PCPs to know what the classic signs of IBD are and how to rule out other things that are not IBD related.”
— 28-year-old self-identifying Asian female with ulcerative colitis
Urgency in care
“I think it’d be helpful if there was a more aggressive approach with the first primary care physicians prior to being referred to GI doctors.”
— 26-year-old self-identifying Black male with ulcerative colitis
Mental health considerations
“I wish that my primary care physician explored the mental health implications of IBD more aggressively.”
— 26-year-old self-identifying Black male with ulcerative colitis
Need for education
“[Additional] education, among general practitioner doctors, would be helpful … More about what Crohn’s disease is, why patients get it …”
— 65-year-old self-identifying white male with Crohn’s disease