title: Patient preferences for inflammatory bowel disease treatment objectives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is currently little evidence about what treatment objectives most interest patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine patient preferences regarding IBD treatment objectives, specially the attributes they value most and the symptoms to be controlled as a priority.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational, anonymous study conducted in 117 outpatients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most important treatment objectives from the patients' perspective were: improving quality of life (40.2% of patients), and completely resolving symptoms (33.3%). Only 12.8% of patients indicated having a completely normal colonoscopy as a preferred objective. The symptoms the patients considered to be most important when prioritizing their control were: abdominal pain (23.1% of patients), and bowel movement urgency (17.1%). The preferred treatment objectives were similar for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improving quality of life and completely controlling symptoms are the priority treatment objectives for IBD patients, with abdominal pain being the most important symptom. Conversely, therapeutic objective target goals proposed by physicians, such as healing the mucosal lesions, are not a priority for most patients. This indicates that there are discrepancies between patient and physician expectations, which should be taken into account if a patient-centered care model is to be implemented.
authors.affiliation: Crohn-Colitis Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: fcasellas@vhebron.net.
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casellas
authors.affiliation: Crohn-Colitis Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrera-de Guise
authors.affiliation: Crohn-Colitis Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Robles
authors.affiliation: Crohn-Colitis Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Crohn-Colitis Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Borruel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000628:therapy*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013030:Spain
keywords: Crohn’s disease; Symptoms; Treatment expectations; Ulcerative colitis