IBD impact on quality of life and perception of disease activity in Italian patients and physicians: An IBD-PODCAST study sub analysis.

Background: IBD-PODCAST was a global real-world study to assess suboptimal disease control (SDC) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) using STRIDE-II criteria.

Aim: To evaluate quality of life (QoL), disease characteristics and control in patients with SDC, comparing perspectives of patients and healthcare providers (HCPs) in the Italian subpopulation.

Methods: IBD-PODCAST-Italy enrolled adult outpatients from 17 centers. The study used a combination of retrospective chart reviews and cross-sectional assessments to gather data on treatment, patient-reported outcomes (QoL, fatigue, work productivity) and clinical activity. Patient and HCP perceptions of disease control based on STRIDE-II criteria, which included clinical, laboratory and endoscopic findings were also assessed.

Results: SDC was identified in 53.4 % (95 % CI: 44-62.8 %) of CD and 49.0 % (95 % CI: 39.1-59.0 %) of UC patients. Those with SDC had lower short IBD questionnaire scores (45.9 ± 12.0) compared to optimal disease control (ODC) patients (57.4 ± 9.9). Extraintestinal manifestations and bowel urgency were more frequent in SDC patients. Physician-perceived SDC (14.5 %) was higher than patient-perceived SDC (8.8 %) and agreement between patient and HCP assessments was low.

Conclusions: Patients with SDC experienced impaired QoL. The discrepancy between patient and physician perceptions of disease control, alongside objective measures, highlights the need for further research to optimize care and improve outcomes.