DDW 2017. Tu1612. IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME PATIENT EXPERIENCE IN CANADA
Results: Respondents from every province and territory totalled 2,961. 90% were between 30-69 years of age, 86% female, 97% were adults with IBS. 53% had IBS for more than 10 years. 35% had IBS-D, 18% IBS-C, 41% IBS-M, and 6% unsure. In IBS-C patients, abdominal pain was identified as a distinct predominant symptom. Those with IBS-D experienced many symptoms, with abdominal pain, bloating, urgency, and diarrhea identified as highly concerning. 31% experienced severe abdominal pain in the last 3 months, with severe pain being constant in a high proportion. 62% of patients indicated they experienced pain continuing after bowel movement. The top factors driving patients to see their physician were pain/discomfort and impact of IBS on their personal/professional/daily life. Approximately 93% and 49% of patients consulted with a family doctor and gastroenterologist, respectively, for their IBS. 60% had a colonoscopy. 12% have been hospitalized for IBS. 76% indicated that their symptoms interfere with everyday life and 46% missed work or school due to IBS. Most IBS patients use ≥2 medications on a regular basis to control their symptoms yet only 21% are confident their symptoms are under control. Compounding the issue, 16% are unable to afford any of their prescribed medications, and 26% can only afford some of them.
Conclusions: Canadian IBS patients suffer from multiple symptoms, with the pain experienced by patients being the prime motivating factor to seek care. 79% have symptoms not under control. The conventional standard of care for IBS requires many different treatments to manage the multiple symptoms, with the majority of IBS patients requiring 2 or more treatments on a regular basis. IBS patients experience a wide range of symptoms and comorbidities. It can be a struggle for them to find treatments that are effective and affordable.
CARE™ Faculty Perspective: The most common complaints from patients include abdominal pain and constipation and/or diarrhea. Real-world data is limited, so this study aimed to look how IBS affects people in Canada. A questionnaire was distributed via the Gastrointestinal Society in Canada and included questions about symptom severity, medication use, experience with health care system, quality of life, etc.
The key finding from this survey is that 79% of patients do not have their IBS symptoms under control. This is a huge amount of people whose quality of life may be severely affected. More awareness on how to treat symptoms with appropriate treatment may be needed across Canada to ensure this rate is reduced.
