Objective: Specialist nurses have become increasingly involved in the management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of nurse-led versus conventional follow-up on patient outcomes, such as quality of life, worries and time from relapse to start of treatment.
Methods: Patients completed the Short Form 36 (SF-36), Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (N-IBDQ) and the Rating Form of IBD Patient Concerns (RFIPC) at baseline and after 1 year. Socio-demographic and clinical variables were obtained at V1 and V2. In addition the amount of e.g., relapses, hospitalisations, time from relapse to start of treatment, sick-leave, unscheduled visits or telephone calls was recorded during the follow-up period.
Results: A total of 140 patients were included; ulcerative colitis (UC) n=92, Crohn's disease (CD) n=48, mean age 46.9 and 40.0 years old, respectively. One hundred and thirty three patients attended the follow-up after 1 year. After 1 year there were no differences between the groups in relation to quality of life, worries, amount of relapse, sick-leave, hospitalisations or surgery. Participants in nurse-led follow-up had a significantly (p<0.05) shorter interval from the start of a relapse to the start of treatment.
Conclusions: Nurse-led follow-up of IBD patients produces PRO results comparable to that of gastroenterologists and may shorten the interval from the beginning of a relapse to the start of treatment.
Copyright © 2012 European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.