Abstract
IBD affects 3 million individuals in the US alone but the prevalence is expanding globally. The economic burden of IBD in the US is high, with estimates indicating the combined IBD population in the US is expected to incur a lifetime total cost of over $800 billion. Many current IBD treatments lose effectiveness over time and up to 80% of patients with Crohn’s disease and 20% of patients with Ulcerative Colitis require at least one surgical intervention in their lifetime. Scientific evidence suggests diet, lifestyle factors, and mental health are emerging as key contributors to IBD’s pathogenesis but are often outside of the scope of frontline treatment interventions. Further, patient education is associated with improving outcomes but is not addressed by current treatment strategies. New innovative approaches are needed to improve the efficacy of existing treatments, ease the economic and personal burdens of living with IBD, and address the gaps in existing strategies.
The human-centered framework by IBDCoach is a newly developed and strategic patient-driven system, based on immersive science education and represents a reconceptualization of the IBD healthcare experience (Figures 1 and 2). This framework aims to facilitate seamless patient-doctor interaction, improve compliance to prescribed treatment strategies, empower patients to understand their condition and to develop an effective, well-rounded treatment protocol under the close supervision of their healthcare team, and promote successful behavioral change. The IBDCoach framework combines principles of systems-thinking, experiential scientific education, ancestral health, neuroplasticity and behavioral change, and compassion for the unique human experience of chronic illness to fill the gaps in existing IBD treatment strategies. We report on initial successes observed in the first 100 enrollees of this novel framework, the theory behind the program, and the broader implications for redefining the IBD healthcare landscape with creative solutions.
Figure 1. IBDCoach’s three mechanisms of IBD pathogenesis.
Figure 2. IBDCoach’s key framework steps.
