Susanna Jäghult(1,2): Charlotte Höög (2): Susana Soto Villagran (2): Amanda Lundgren (2): Maria Nordin (2): Anna Nordström (2)

Affiliates

1. Karolinska Institutet Danderyd Hospital 2. GHP Stockholm Gastro Center

Abstract

Background:
Patients with IBD often need close monitoring, especially patients on biological treatment. In this study a digital tool was used to meet the patients’ need and increase their participation. IBD Home is a cell phone application that is connected to SWIBREG. It offers the patients to register their symptoms and to perform a home-test of fecal kalprotectin. At Stockholm Gastro Center we decided to offer inclusion in IBD Home to all patients on biological treatment.

The aim was to investigate the functionality of IBD Home from the patients and health care professionals point of view and to investigate if the patients experienced an increased participation by monitoring with the tool.

Method:
In March 2018, a letter with information about IBD Home and an offer to use the tool was sent to all patients on biological treatment. Those who accepted were included and got information about how to download the application. In December, both patients and health care professionals (nurses and physicians) got a questionnaire concerning IBD Home.

Results:
A total of 166 patients on biological treatment were offered monitoring by IBD Home and 89 (53%) accepted. When answering the evaluation, 79 patients were active in IBD Home and 10 were inactive. Of the active, only 27 patients (34%) left home-test fecal kalprotectin on a regular basis. The questionnaire was answered by 27 patients (34%). The majority (n=24) stated that it was easy to install IBD Home. A total of nine patients noted that their participation in their own health care had increased while the majority (n=16) stated that there was no difference.

Five nurses and three gastroenterologists answered the questionnaire. Those using the manual for including patients and the manual to interpret values expressed them to be very clear or fairly clear (n=4). The majority (n=6) had used IBD Home in the clinical work and regarded it as useful.

Conclusion:
Patients experienced IBD Home to be easy to use but most of them did not experienced any improvements concerning participation in their own care. The health care professionals using IBD Home in their clinical work and found it useful.