Exploring the Experiences of Virtual Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care in Saskatchewan.
Noelle Rohatinsky, Brooke Russell, Juan Nicolás Peña-Sánchez and 6 others
PMID 38062657WHAT IT FOUND
People with IBD and providers described telephone virtual care as useful for stable, routine visits and rural access, but preferred in-person care for flares, new symptoms, exams, first visits, or complex cases.
Key findings
01Interviews with 25 people living with IBD and 5 gastroenterology care providers produced three themes: benefits, challenges, and optimizing virtual IBD care.
02Virtual care was described as suitable for medically stable, routine care, but patients preferred in-person care when they needed a physical assessment, were in a flare, or had unmanageable pain.
03Patients and providers suggested a blended model of virtual and in-person appointments to optimize IBD care delivery.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study reports qualitative experiences, not measured clinical outcomes, so it cannot show that virtual care improves disease control, costs, or safety. Only 5 gastroenterology care providers were interviewed, and the paper notes limited input from this group. It was done in one Western Canadian province, so experiences may not apply where virtual care is used differently. Participants primarily used telephone care, not other virtual modalities, so findings may not apply to video or remote monitoring. Transcripts were not returned to participants for review, and data on people who declined were not collected. Recruitment came from four gastroenterology offices, which may not represent all patients or providers.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding was provided by a Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Solutions Innovation Grant (#6036).
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that virtual care improves IBD outcomes or is equivalent to in-person care. It reports experiences from a small qualitative sample, mostly telephone care in one province, and did not test clinical outcomes.