TY - JOUR
T1 - Activities related to inflammatory bowel disease management during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown in Italy
T2 - How to maintain standards of care
AU - IG-IBD (Italian Group for the study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
AU - Saibeni, Simone
AU - Scucchi, Ludovica
AU - Dragoni, Gabriele
AU - Bezzio, Cristina
AU - Miranda, Agnese
AU - Ribaldone, Davide Giuseppe
AU - Bertani, Angela
AU - Bossa, Fabrizio
AU - Allocca, Mariangela
AU - Buda, Andrea
AU - Mocci, Gianmarco
AU - Soriano, Alessandra
AU - Mazzuoli, Silvia
AU - Bertani, Lorenzo
AU - Baccini, Flavia
AU - Loddo, Erika
AU - Privitera, Antonino Carlo
AU - Sartini, Alessandro
AU - Viscido, Angelo
AU - Grossi, Laurino
AU - Casini, Valentina
AU - Gerardi, Viviana
AU - Ascolani, Marta
AU - Ruscio, Mirko Di
AU - Casella, Giovanni
AU - Savarino, Edoardo
AU - Stradella, Davide
AU - Pumpo, Rossella
AU - Cortelezzi, Claudio Camillo
AU - Daperno, Marco
AU - Ciardo, Valeria
AU - Nardone, Olga Maria
AU - Caprioli, Flavio
AU - Vitale, Giovanna
AU - Cappello, Maria
AU - Comberlato, Michele
AU - Alvisi, Patrizia
AU - Festa, Stefano
AU - Campigotto, Michele
AU - Bodini, Giorgia
AU - Balestrieri, Paola
AU - Viola, Anna
AU - Pugliese, Daniela
AU - Armuzzi, Alessandro
AU - Fantini, Massimo C
AU - Fiorino, Gionata
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Restructuring activities have been necessary during the lockdown phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Few data are available on the post-lockdown phase in terms of health-care procedures in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care, and no data are available specifically from IBD units. We aimed to investigate how IBD management was restructured during the lockdown phase, the impact of the restructuring on standards of care and how Italian IBD units have managed post-lockdown activities.METHODS: A web-based online survey was conducted in two phases (April and June 2020) among the Italian Group for IBD affiliated units within the entire country. We investigated preventive measures, the possibility of continuing scheduled visits/procedures/therapies because of COVID-19 and how units resumed activities in the post-lockdown phase.RESULTS: Forty-two referral centres participated from all over Italy. During the COVID-19 lockdown, 36% of first visits and 7% of follow-up visits were regularly done, while >70% of follow-up scheduled visits and 5% of first visits were done virtually. About 25% of scheduled endoscopies and bowel ultrasound scans were done. More than 80% of biological therapies were done as scheduled. Compared to the pre-lockdown situation, 95% of centres modified management of outpatient activity, 93% of endoscopies, 59% of gastrointestinal ultrasounds and 33% of biological therapies. Resumption of activities after the lockdown phase may take three to six months to normalize. Virtual clinics, implementation of IBD pathways and facilities seem to be the main factors to improve care in the future.CONCLUSION: Italian IBD unit restructuring allowed quality standards of care during the COVID-19 pandemic to be maintained. A return to normal appears to be feasible and achievable relatively quickly. Some approaches, such as virtual clinics and identified IBD pathways, represent a valid starting point to improve IBD care in the post-COVID-19 era.
AB - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Restructuring activities have been necessary during the lockdown phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Few data are available on the post-lockdown phase in terms of health-care procedures in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care, and no data are available specifically from IBD units. We aimed to investigate how IBD management was restructured during the lockdown phase, the impact of the restructuring on standards of care and how Italian IBD units have managed post-lockdown activities.METHODS: A web-based online survey was conducted in two phases (April and June 2020) among the Italian Group for IBD affiliated units within the entire country. We investigated preventive measures, the possibility of continuing scheduled visits/procedures/therapies because of COVID-19 and how units resumed activities in the post-lockdown phase.RESULTS: Forty-two referral centres participated from all over Italy. During the COVID-19 lockdown, 36% of first visits and 7% of follow-up visits were regularly done, while >70% of follow-up scheduled visits and 5% of first visits were done virtually. About 25% of scheduled endoscopies and bowel ultrasound scans were done. More than 80% of biological therapies were done as scheduled. Compared to the pre-lockdown situation, 95% of centres modified management of outpatient activity, 93% of endoscopies, 59% of gastrointestinal ultrasounds and 33% of biological therapies. Resumption of activities after the lockdown phase may take three to six months to normalize. Virtual clinics, implementation of IBD pathways and facilities seem to be the main factors to improve care in the future.CONCLUSION: Italian IBD unit restructuring allowed quality standards of care during the COVID-19 pandemic to be maintained. A return to normal appears to be feasible and achievable relatively quickly. Some approaches, such as virtual clinics and identified IBD pathways, represent a valid starting point to improve IBD care in the post-COVID-19 era.
KW - COVID-19/epidemiology
KW - Critical Pathways
KW - Disease Management
KW - Humans
KW - Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/diagnosis
KW - Italy/epidemiology
KW - Pandemics
KW - Public Health Surveillance
KW - Quality of Life
KW - Standard of Care/standards
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
U2 - 10.1177/2050640620964132
DO - 10.1177/2050640620964132
M3 - Article
C2 - 33070758
VL - 8
SP - 1228
EP - 1235
JO - United European Gastroenterology Journal
JF - United European Gastroenterology Journal
SN - 2050-6406
IS - 10
ER -