The PANACEA Project: a multinational model for digital health literacy in inflammatory bowel disease.

Abstract

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents an increasing public health challenge in Latin America, where structural inequities and limited access to standardized education contribute to gaps in health literacy. Despite the recognized role of patient education in IBD care, region-wide, structured digital initiatives remain limited.

Objective: To describe the implementation, reach, and educational performance of PANACEA (PANamerican Crohn's and Colitis Educational Approach), a multinational digital education program for patients with IBD and caregivers in Latin America.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter observational descriptive study evaluating four consecutive PANACEA cohorts delivered between 2024 and 2025 through an asynchronous e-learning platform. Adults with IBD or caregivers voluntarily enrolled and completed standardized pre- and post-module knowledge assessments and satisfaction surveys. Program adherence, baseline characteristics, knowledge change, normalized learning gain, and user satisfaction were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results: A total of 1366 participants from 15 Latin American countries completed baseline assessments (mean age 41.4 years; 80% female). Sustained adherence to the platform was 53.1%. Cohorts with intermediate baseline knowledge demonstrated improvements in program-specific knowledge assessments (absolute improvement 8-9 points; normalized gain 0.43-0.52), while cohorts with high baseline scores exhibited ceiling effects. Participants with lower baseline knowledge tended to demonstrate greater relative improvements in knowledge scores. Satisfaction exceeded 90% across content quality, usability, and perceived usefulness.

Conclusions: This observational evaluation demonstrates that PANACEA is a feasible and scalable digital education model for IBD in Latin America, achieving broad regional reach, high user satisfaction, and improvements in program-specific knowledge scores, particularly among participants with lower baseline knowledge levels.