key: cord-0763818-1jwwmoys
authors: D'Amico, Ferdinando; Rahier, Jean-François; Leone, Salvo; Peyrin-Biroulet, Laurent; Danese, Silvio
title: Views of patients with inflammatory bowel disease on the COVID-19 pandemic: a global survey
date: 2020-05-13
journal: Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol
DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(20)30151-5
sha: 50d2047891a30708f6f6c4b469dea4e7e0bc0d6a
doc_id: 763818
cord_uid: 1jwwmoys

nan

Patients with chronic diseases have experienced substantial changes to the routine management of their conditions during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. 1,2 Although insights into the management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) during the outbreak have been described, 3 little attention has been paid to the patients' point of view. Therefore, we did an anonymous web survey with the support of the European Federation of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Associations (EFCCA) between March 30 and April 16, 2020, to investigate the concerns, fears, and behaviours of patients with IBD during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The questionnaire was initially developed in English through the cooperation of IBD specialists and patient association representatives, focusing on the most frequent questions asked by patients during daily clinical practice. Subsequently, the questionnaire was translated into ten languages (Italian, Dutch, French, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Croatian, Bulgarian, and Slovenian) by volunteer native speakers. Patients with IBD were invited to participate in the survey via the EFCCA. We had responses from 3815 participants from 51 countries worldwide (appendix The results of this survey highlight that a gap between doctors and patients still exists. There is an urgent need to improve physician-patient communication and to provide clear and specific recommendations in a period of substantial confusion for people with chronic diseases. The European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation, the British Society of Gastroenterology, and the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases have responded to this request, providing practical guidelines for the management of patients with IBD during the pandemic, focusing not only on drug treatment but also on advice for daily life (eg, social distancing, use of masks, and travel avoidance). [4] [5] [6] In patients with IBD who do not have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, See Online for appendix immunosuppressive and biological drugs should not be discontinued as a preventive strategy, since there is no evidence to date to suggest that there is an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection with these therapies. [4] [5] [6] In addition, patients are recommended to stay at home, avoid travel, respect the rules of social distancing (at least 1 m between one person and another), pay close attention to hand hygiene, and use protective masks outside the home. [4] [5] [6] In this context, patient associations are a key link between doctors and patients and should be increasingly involved in patient management. Close cooperation could allow greater patient compliance with the recommendations of health-care providers and could also help to establish long-lasting, trusting relationships.

Applied Molecular Transport, OSE Immunotherapeutics, Enthera, and Theravance; grants from AbbVie, MSD, and Takeda; and stock options from Clinical Trials Mobile Application. SD has served as a speaker, consultant, and advisory board member for Schering-Plough

European Federation of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Associations

Clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 in China

Clinical characteristics of 138 hospitalized patients with 2019 novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia in Wuhan, China

Prevention of COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Wuhan, China

European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation

British Society of Gastroenterology guidance for management of inflammatory bowel disease during the COVID-19 pandemic

International Organization for the study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. IOIBD update on COVID-19 for patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis