Feasibility and impact of a quality improvement initiative to screen for malnutrition in an Inflammatory Bowel Disease clinic.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that is associated with malnutrition. Malnutrition is associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with IBD and therefore early identification of those at risk for malnutrition is crucial. We aimed to evaluate how frequently nutrition screening occurs in a large, tertiary care outpatient IBD center and to initiate an intervention to improve malnutrition screening for patients with IBD. METHODS: We used a traditional plan-do-study-act quality improvement technique to understand our current malnutrition screening practices and institute an intervention to improve screening. To do this, we utilized a modified Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (mMUST) and integrated this into the electronic health record. We then evaluated the intervention and the impact on IBD related clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Prior to the intervention, few patients with IBD were screened for malnutrition. However, the number of patients screened for malnutrition significantly improved with the study intervention and those who were identified as high-risk had increased nutrition follow up including serum micronutrient evaluations and referral to a dedicated registered dietician. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the feasibility and impact of a malnutrition screening program in ambulatory IBD patients. Those patients identified as high risk for malnutrition who engaged in nutrition care had improved clinical outcomes including reduced hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

A Mixed-methods Assessment of the Impact of Insurance Issues on the Emotional and Physical Health of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), failure to adhere to treatment regimens due to insurance issues can lead to disease complications. Our aim was to examine patients' perceptions of the impact of insurance issues on their health. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with IBD at a large US academic center and an insurance issue participated in a mixed-methods study. Retrospective chart review and an online questionnaire were completed to collect demographic information, IBD characteristics, and validated resilience scores. Semistructured interviews were completed for insurance experiences, which were coded independently by 2 coders for themes. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients completed the interview, and 24 completed the online survey. Sixteen had Crohn's disease, 13 had ulcerative colitis, and 66% were female. The most common insurance issue was lapsed insurance. Many experienced physical consequences, with 58% having flares, 14% undergoing surgery, and 14% developing antibodies. All emotional responses were negative, with the majority feeling stressed (38%). Providers were uninformed of insurance issues in 28% of cases. When asked about perceived resilience, 41% felt incapable of managing the situation, and 45% gave up trying to solve the problem. When asked how to improve going forward, 38% requested an easily accessible advocate to guide them. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of our cohort chose not to inform their provider, felt incapable of managing on their own, and gave up on resolving their insurance issue. This highlights the need to consider restructuring the insurance system, to identify those at risk for insurance issues, and to make advocates available to avoid devastating consequences.

Few studies have qualitatively examined the impact of insurance issues on the health of patients with IBD. We highlight the need to identify patients at risk of insurance issues and when they occur so as to make advocates available to avoid disease complications.

High Levels of Psychological Resilience Are Associated With Decreased Anxiety in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are comorbid disorders with IBD and are associated with poor outcomes. Resilience is an innate but modifiable trait that may improve the symptoms of psychological disorders. Increasing resilience may decrease the severity of these comorbid disorders, which may improve IBD outcomes. The aim of this study was to describe the association between resilience, anxiety, and depression in IBD patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of IBD patients. Patients completed a questionnaire consisting of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), a measure of resilience, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Primary outcome was severity of anxiety and depression in patients with high resilience. Multivariable linear regression analysis evaluated the association between severity of anxiety and depression and level of resilience. RESULTS: A sample of 288 patients was analyzed. Bivariable linear regression analysis showed a negative association between resilience and anxiety (Pearson rho = -0.47; P < .0001) and between resilience and depression (Pearson rho = -0.53; P < .0001). Multivariable linear regression indicated that high resilience is independently associated with lower anxiety and that for every 1-unit increase in CD-RISC, the GAD-7 score decreased by 0.04 units (P = .0003). Unlike anxiety, the association between resilience and depression did not remain statistically significant on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: High resilience is independently associated with lower anxiety in IBD patients, and we report a quantifiable decrease in anxiety score severity for every point of increase in resilience score. These findings suggest that IBD patients with higher resilience may have better coping mechanisms that buffer against the development of anxiety.

Dramatic Deep and Durable Remission of Acute Fulminant Ulcerative Colitis Achieved with Cyclosporine in a Patient Who Failed the Induction Intravenous Phase of Cyclosporine.

Medical rescue therapy for patients with severe steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) consists of intravenous (IV) cyclosporine or infliximab and remains limited. Cyclosporine is used by fewer medical facilities due to comfort and need for close drug level monitoring, despite evidence that it can have dramatic benefits. In many tertiary centers it is accepted that after 3-7 days of treatment with IV cyclosporine without response, a patient will not respond to the therapy, and other modalities, namely surgery, should be considered. We present the case of a 36-year-old man with acute severe UC refractory to steroids and multiple biologics, who "failed" IV cyclosporine for 2 weeks, much longer than the usually accepted induction phase, and achieved remission with continuation of oral cyclosporine. This case demonstrates the possibility that continued therapy with cyclosporine for a longer duration than the currently accepted timeline can lead to remission and avoidance of colectomy in properly selected and monitored patients.