Early findings from a new IBD Registry study reveal that 1 in 10 people with IBD would never want a remote appointment, despite virtual appointments becoming more routine.
The new study was presented by Dr Keith Bodger, IBD Registry Academic Lead, at the annual meeting of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) last month. The research paper on factors associated with preferences for face-to-face versus remote appointments for IBD is based on a UK-wide online survey of more than 7,300 people with IBD conducted in May 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to more IBD consultations taking place remotely, including phone and video appointments, rather than traditional face-to-face care. This study looked at whether people with IBD preferred remote or face-to-face IBD appointments, and the different factors that might be linked to those preferences, such as age and whether someone’s IBD is active or not.
The final results will be submitted for publication to a scientific journal later this year, to help inform IBD services trying to provide the right mix of face-to-face and remote appointments in a post-pandemic world.
As the NHS continues to move towards becoming a more digital organisation, it is important to consider patient preference alongside what is convenient for hospitals and other settings that provide IBD care. Our study was conducted using an electronic survey, so the number of patients who prefer face-to-face care may be greater that the figures found by this study. Interestingly, we also found that people with ulcerative colitis were more likely to accept a remote appointment that people with other forms of IBD, including Crohn’s disease. You can keep an eye out for updates on this study on our Analysis and Research page.
BSG Live took place at the ICC in Birmingham from 20-23 June 2022, where the IBD Registry team welcomed attendees to our stand in the exhibition hall. It was fantastic to meet IBD teams in person again, with lots of exciting discussions about working together to support people with IBD.
The event was a great opportunity for us to introduce ourselves to IBD teams we haven’t met yet, and to showcase our new data access platform and other tools to teams already working with us or keen to get involved. IBD teams wanting to find out more about the Registry can also contact us via email – we would love to hear from you.