N014 The impact of nursing care on quality of life in IBD patients: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: In Mediterranean Countries, the prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is progressively increasing, with an estimated rate of 254 cases per 100 000 inhabitants. These chronic conditions largely impact on psycho-social well-being, and the relatively young age at onset together with and the long life expectancy, encourage physicians and nurses to adequately respond to patients' needs, especially in terms of improving disease-related quality of life (QoL). Various studies identified specific nursing interventions for the management of IBD. However, there is lack of evidence that these interventions are effective in clinical practice to improve QoL. The aim of this study was to explore whether nursing interventions care may improve the quality of life of patients with IBD. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed at Gastroenterology Unit, Hospital of Padua, during the period between July and September 2017. In 2012-2013 the nursing staff of IBD Unit was specifically trained on IBD nursing interventions by a 60-h theoretical-practical course aimed to establish an integrated care network for IBD patients. The sample consisted of adult subjects diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) since at least six months. Two questionnaires were distributed to the IBD patients: the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ) and a questionnaire of nursing care with 13 items related to five areas of nursing care with five points Likert scale multiple choice options. The first evaluated the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), the second the perception and satisfaction of nursing care received in the areas identified by the N-ECCO Consensus: diet and nutrition, incontinence, sexuality, chronic fatigue, pain. A multivariate statistical analysis allowed to assess the presence of statistically significant associations between various variables considered (p < 0.05). Results: 50 subjects were enrolled (64% male/36% female, with a mean age of 44.6 years). Thirty (60%) patients had CD, and 20 (40%) had UC. The majority of the subjects (n = 29) showed a score SIBDQ > 50, indicative of a high level of quality of life. The results of the questionnaire on nursing care demonstrated a positive association between nursing care with incontinence improvement and increased QoL (p = 0.012). On the other hand, patients reported little satisfaction from nursing care in relation to the other areas investigated, not believing that the nursing care led to an improvement in their QoL. Conclusions: Nursing care improved incontinence in patients with IBD, leading to a better QoL in these patients. Further prospective studies with nursing structured interventions will elucidate the role of nursing care in IBD management and QoL.