N08 IBD Home at GHP Stockholm Gastro Center in Sweden

S. Jäghult

Charlotte Höög Susana Soto Vilagran Amanda Lundgren Maria Nordin Anna Nordström, 1GHP Stockholm Gastro Center, Karolinska Institutet Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

Background

Patients with IBD and with biological treatment often need close monitoring. 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 the national quality registry, SWIBREG. It offers the patients to register their symptoms and to perform a home-test of faecal kalprotectin, the result transmitted directly to the registry. At the Stockholm Gastro Center we decided to offer inclusion in IBD Home to all patients on biological treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the functionality of IBD Home from the patients and the health care professionals point of view, and to investigate if the patients experienced an increased participation by monitoring with IBD Home.

Methods

In March 2018, a letter with information about IBD Home and an offer to use the tool was sent to all patients with biological treatment. A letter of reminder was sent after two months. Those who accepted were included and got information about how to download the application. In December, both patients and health care professionals 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 using IBD Home. Causes for inactivity were stated as: too old phone model (n = 1), technical differences (n = 2), worries concerning the security of the system (n = 1), and others e.g. ‘forgotten about it’ and ‘did not find the time to do it’. Only 27 patients (34%) left home-test faecal 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. A total of five nurses and three gastroenterologists answered the questionnaire. Those using the manual for including patients in IBD Home and the manual to interpret values expressed them to be very clear or fairly clear (n = 4). Four health care professionals had never used the manuals. The majority (n = 6), had used IBD Home in the clinical work and regarded it as useful.

Conclusion

Patients using IBD Home experiences the tool to be very easy to use but most of them did not experience any improvements concerning participation in their own care. The response rate was however low. It may be some difficulties to get started with the home-test faecal kalprotectin since only 34% are using it on a regular basis. The health care professionals using IBD Home in their clinical work found it useful.