Lay summary
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic condition that significantly affects patients' physical and mental health. It is a relapsing-remitting disease that requires a comprehensive and holistic approach to ensure long-term benefits. This approach should cover the entire cycle of care for IBD patients, including their health status beyond the completion of care. Gastroenterologists can potentially enhance primary healthcare (PHC) to offer such holistic management for IBD patients.
Currently, the care package for IBD patients is primarily carried out by gastroenterologists who due to capacity constraints, can't keep up with the rising incidence of IBD. This renders the service inconsistent and reactive in response to short-term needs. Therefore, we aim to integrate PHC into secondary care in hospitals to deliver high-quality, comprehensive and value-based management for IBD patients. This approach may shift the paradigm of IBD management from specialist-led to collaborative multidisciplinary care.