Effect of TELEmedicine for Inflammatory Bowel Disease on Patient Activation and Self-Efficacy.

Introduction: Limitations in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care necessitate greater patient activation and self-efficacy, measures associated with positive health outcomes.

Methods: We assessed change in patient activation and general self-efficacy from baseline to 12 months through our TELEmedicine for IBD trial, a multicenter, randomized controlled trial consisting of a web-based monitoring system that interacts with participants via text messaging. A total of 222 adults with IBD who had experienced an IBD flare within 2 years prior to the trial were randomized into either a control arm that received standard care (SC) or an intervention arm that completed self-testing through the TELE-IBD system every other week (EOW) or weekly (W).

Results: Changes in self-efficacy scores were not significantly different between control and experimental groups. Patient activation scores were significantly different between standard care and the TELE-IBD EOW group only (p = 0.03).

Conclusions: Use of remote monitoring did not improve self-efficacy or patient activation compared to routine care.