Patient and Health Care Professional Perspectives on the Burden and Daily Life Impact of Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease: Results from the Japanese CONFIDE Study.

Introduction: The global Communicating Needs and Features of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Experiences (CONFIDE) study aimed to evaluate the impact of ulcerative colitis (UC)- and Crohn's disease (CD)-related symptoms on patients' lives and elucidate communication gaps between patients and health care professionals (HCPs). We report the findings from the study in patients with UC or CD and HCPs in Japan.

Methods: Online, quantitative, cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Japan for patients with moderate-to-severe UC or CD and HCPs responsible for the care of patients with UC and/or CD. Subgroup analyses based on disease activity were conducted using the Manitoba Inflammatory Bowel Disease Index. Data were described using descriptive statistics.

Results: Surveys were completed by 124 patients with UC, 99 patients with CD, and 100 HCPs in Japan. Differences were noted in the most common patient-reported symptoms experienced in the month prior to survey completion between patients with UC and CD (diarrhea [45.2% UC, 68.7% CD], flatulence [34.7% UC, 32.3% CD], increased stool frequency [32.3% UC, 43.4% CD], bowel urgency [BU; 25.0% UC, 32.3% CD], and fatigue [36.4% CD]). More patients with active disease than inactive disease reported these symptoms. BU and BU-related accidents were among the symptoms ranked as most impactful by patients with UC and CD. HCP-perceived symptoms with the greatest impact on patients were diarrhea and blood in stool. Findings in the Japanese cohort of CONFIDE were generally consistent with those in the United States (US)/European cohorts. The percentage of patients reporting BU as the symptom with the greatest impact was higher in the US/European cohorts than in the Japanese cohort, potentially as a result of differences in baseline characteristics and social environments such as toilet facilities.

Conclusion: BU is an impactful symptom among Japanese patients with UC and CD and should be considered by HCPs during treatment of these conditions.