Faculty Members Explore Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Canada has one of the highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the world, with more than 233,000 Canadians affected (Crohn's and Colitis Canada, 2015).
The rate of newly diagnosed children in Canada, particularly under the age of 10, has almost doubled since 1995 (Crohn's and Colitis Canada, 2015). The complex and often severe nature of IBD in children leads to a growing number of adolescents in need of support, as they become adults and begin to manage their chronic illness on their own.
College of Nursing faculty, Drs. Tracie Risling and Noelle Rohatinsky, along with community partner, the Saskatoon Chapter of Crohn's and Colitis Canada, have received local and national funding to explore the transition needs of adolescents living with inflammatory bowel disease from the perspectives of patients, families and healthcare providers.
"As Education Director for the Saskatoon Chapter of Crohn's and Colitis Canada for the past six years, I have really come to understand the importance of educating newly diagnosed patients, in particular children and their families," said Dr. Rohatinsky. "The absence of pediatric gastroenterology physicians in Saskatchewan has resulted in many children with IBD having to travel out of province for care. This lack of local programming adds another layer of complexity to the already challenging process of transitioning from pediatric to adult care."
Risling and Rohatinsky are working with Canadian inflammatory bowel disease and gastroenterology nurses across the country to develop tools to assess the readiness of youth to transition into adult health care settings. "Supporting children and adolescents transitioning into adult care is essential to improve their health outcomes and quality of life," said Dr. Risling. "We are working in partnership with adolescents and their caregivers here in Saskatchewan to develop a mobile-web based application to support patients in transition. This technology will provide prompts for patients and parents regarding care needs and allow individuals to organize and store important information about their conditions and treatments."
November is Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Month. For more information, please visit the Crohn's and Colitis Canada website.