About the project
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by a fluctuating and unpredictable disease course and a many patients experience high symptom burden. We are assessing symptom burden and symptom clusters at diagnosis, and how it affects health-related quality of life and sick leave the first year after diagnosis.
Investigating symptom clusters and health related quality of life
Our primary goal is to advance knowledge on the psychosocial aspects, symptoms, and symptom clusters in newly diagnosed IBD patients, and how it affects work and school participation as well as health related quality of life.
Understanding these dynamics can assist healthcare professionals in identifying patients at risk of adverse outcomes, enabling a more person-centered approach in follow-ups. Psychosocial support can then be tailored to prevent long-term consequences.
Methods
We have collected patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) assessing for general physical and psychological symptoms, as well as health-related quality of life and sick leave in adult patients with IBD. Additionally, selected disease-specific biomarkers have also been collected.
Aim of research project
The objectives of our study are:
- Examine the prevalence of symptoms and explore symptom clusters, as well as assess potential associations with socio-demographic and clinical factors in newly diagnosed IBD patients.
- Examine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients newly diagnosed with IBD compared with the general background population, and furthermore, exploring potential associations with socio-demographic and clinical factors.
- Investigate the impact of symptom burden on sick leave one year after an IBD diagnosis.
Selected publications
- Johansen I, Småstuen MC, Løkkeberg ST, Kristensen VA, Høivik ML, Lund C, Olsen B, Strande V, Huppertz-Hauss G, Aabrekk TB, Bengtson MB, Ricanek P, Detlie TE, Frigstad SO, Jelsness-Jørgensen LP, Opheim R. Symptoms and symptom clusters in patients newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease: results from the IBSEN III Study. BMC Gastroenterol. 2023 Jul 27;23(1):255. doi: 10.1186/s12876-023-02889-y. PMID: 37501083; PMCID: PMC10373240.