BMC Gastroenterology · 8 authors, 2 centres
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This cross-sectional questionnaire study of 359 patients and 583 parents in Germany found that while most reported their paediatric gastroenterologist as the main care contact, less than half used guideline-recommended multidisciplinary services like nutritional counselling or psychological support.
The study analysed responses from 359 adolescents with PIBD and 583 parents of children with PIBD to assess healthcare service utilisation. The central finding was that while most respondents reported a paediatric gastroenterologist as their primary care contact (patients 90.5%; parents 93%), the use of additional multidisciplinary services was lower, with nutritional counselling reported by 48.6% of patients and psychological support by 28.1%. The study is limited by its convenience sampling and potential for selection bias, as recruitment through specialised centres may overestimate perceived care. The implications suggest a gap between guideline-recommended multidisciplinary care and actual patient experience, highlighting a need to improve access to these services.
