Canadians with IBD face challenges in accessing timely medical care: report

Canadians with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are facing challenges to their physical and mental health, according to a report.

Currently, 3 in 4 Canadians with IBD have experienced challenges accessing adequate, timely medical care for their health needs, reports Takeda Canada.

Over 2 in 5 (43%) indicate extensive wait times to see a healthcare provider or receive treatment, with 22% having to wait 6 months or more to see an appropriate healthcare provider or receive treatment.

As a result of these delays, 81% say they experienced negative health impacts, which included worsened symptoms, compounding medical issues, and increases in medical and hospital visits:

• 40% report more frequent, prolonged, or severe symptoms
• 31% report increased medical visits
• 28% report a relapse of IBD symptoms
• 28% report compounding or increasing physical health problems
• 24% report hospitalization or ER visits

What is IBD?

IBD is a term that describes disorders involving long-standing (chronic) inflammation of tissues in your digestive tract, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Types of IBD include:

• Ulcerative colitis. This condition involves inflammation and sores (ulcers) along the lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum.
• Crohn's disease. This type of IBD is characterized by inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which often can involve the deeper layers of the digestive tract. Crohn's disease most commonly affects the small intestine. However, it can also affect the large intestine and uncommonly, the upper gastrointestinal tract.

“Both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease usually are characterized by diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, fatigue and weight loss,” says the Mayo Clinic.

How does IBD affect your mental health?

The mental health of Canadians with IBD is also suffering from their condition, according to Takeda Canada’s survey of 251 Canadians – which included 130 people living with IBD and 121 caregivers for people living with IBD – conducted Aug. 21 to 28, 2024.

Patients living with IBD are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to have a psychiatric disorder, with an estimated 21% diagnosed with clinical anxiety and 15% with clinical depression, according to the report.

And two-thirds (63%) of Canadians living with IBD have experienced mental health issues due to their condition, with half (51%) reporting feelings of anxiety.

Respondents who report having mental health impacts are also significantly more likely to report impacts to work or schooling and social life. Specifically, 90% of those who report mental health impacts cite missed time or decreased productivity, vs. 68% among those who have not experienced mental health impacts.

And 67% of those who say IBD has an impact on their mental health say it has an impact on intimate relationships, connections with family and friends and ability to participate in activities.

"During my last flare, I started feeling the full effect of this diseases on my mental health - from losing my job, feelings of isolation, failed therapies and the impact on my family – it was just all becoming too much," says Carla Bertelli, a patient living with IBD from Calgary, Alberta. "When I raised concerns with my doctor, no support or resources were provided – they weren't equipped to treat the whole person."

Mental health benefits have become a defining feature of what professionals consider a "good job" in today's employment landscape, according to a previous survey by Jobseeker.

Integrated care approach to IBD

Yvette Leung, associate clinical professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of British Columbia's Department of Medicine, is calling for “an integrated care approach” to help out Canadians with IBD.

“For many patients living with a chronic disease like IBD, we know there is a link between their mental health, symptoms, quality of life and overall treatment outcomes,” she says.

"Investing in an integrated care approach will help us address all facets of patient care – from training physicians and nurses to identify symptoms earlier, to having robust treatments options to allow for personalized care and patient choice, to addressing the real need for psychological support that is associated with chronic diseases like IBD."

Workers’ wellbeing is a high priority for employers this year, and they are improving their offerings to support employees, according to a previous report.