Development and validation of the QUECOMIICAT questionnaire: a tool to assess disease-related knowledge in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

INTRODUCTION: adequate knowledge of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is essential for a successful patient-centered management of IBD. OBJECTIVE: due to the scarcity of up-to-date tools for measuring IBD literacy, this single-center, prospective study aimed to develop and validate a new questionnaire to assess IBD-related knowledge. MATERIAL AND METHODS: the study included patients followed up at the Crohn-Colitis Care Unit (UACC) at the Hospital Vall d'Hebron (Barcelona, Spain). Patients admitted to the UACC for the first time were subsequently enrolled into a standard IBD educational program. A pilot questionnaire was developed and validated in 92 IBD patients by determining the internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α test), feasibility, construct validity (correlation with the Crohn's and Colitis Knowledge [CCKNOW] questionnaire and a knowledge visual analog scale [VAS]) and sensitivity (score change before and after a standard IBD educational program). The questionnaire, named "Qüestionari Coneixements Malaltia Inflamatòria Intestinal Catalunya" (IBD-knowledge questionnaire Catalonia) (QUECOMIICAT) was written in Spanish and had 25 items addressing six dimensions: general concepts, clinic, treatment, surgery, habits and social context. RESULTS: the median (interquartile range) completion time was 15 (10-20) minutes and the floor and ceiling effects were 1.1% and 2.1%, respectively. The Cronbach's α coefficient was α = 0.75. QUECOMIICAT significantly correlated with the VAS (rho = 0.34, p < 0.01) and CCKNOW questionnaires (rho = 0.74, p < 0.01). Patient knowledge significantly increased 24 hours after attending a standard IBD educational program and remained statistically significant one month later (Pearson's test-retest correlation coefficient r = 0.81, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: in conclusion, the QUECOMIICAT questionnaire is a new up-to-date tool to assess IBD-related knowledge with good feasibility and validation results for use in the routine clinical practice.

[Autonomy of the patient with chronic diseases: from passive patient to active patient]. / La autonomía del paciente con enfermedades crónicas: De paciente pasivo a paciente activo.

Due to social, economic and cultural changes, there has been a transformation of Health Services around the world. A new figure has emerged from this: the Active Patient, more responsible, with more information and willing to change his life as a chronic patient. In order to respond to this new situation, several countries have established initiatives such as self-reliance programmes for chronic patients. The aim of this article is to underline the Expert Patient Programme Catalonia(®) and to explain its operation and the results obtained up until now. The purpose of this program is to improve the experience of chronic disease by patients, from meetings in which an expert patient provides his knowledge and experiences to a group of patients with the same disease, with the aim of promoting changes in habits and lifestyles that improve the quality of life and the coexistence of the person with his chronic process.