For US healthcare professionals only

UnCoverUC

UC can impact many aspects of patients’ lives—
some that they may not think to share

The impact of UC can reveal itself on any given day. Learning about the many aspects of patients’ lives that are affected could help improve their UC management1

Select each icon to learn more about the impacts of UC from global surveys of patients

  • Clinical*

    Clinical*

    of patients

    (n=233)

    ranked urgency to go to the
    bathroom     as their most
    bothersome symptom2

  • Work†

    Work†

    ~3 out of 4

    (n=1575)

    reported work absenteeism
    due to UC3

  • Day-to-day†

    Day-to-day†

    of patients

    (n=1407)

    reported spending more time in the
    bathroom     than anywhere else3

  • Physical†

    Physical†

    of patients

    (n=1029)

    believed reducing fatigue is an
    important aspect of UC management3

  • Emotional‡

    Emotional‡

    ~1 out of 3

    (n=1339)

    may have experienced symptoms related to emotional well-being4

  • Relationships†

    Relationships†

    of patients

    (n=777)

    reported that UC influenced their decisions regarding starting or continuing to have a family or postponing, ending, or avoiding romantic relationships3

...[Y]ou feel like you have to stay home. You can’t go anywhere.
You live around the restroom.5

—Patient with UC

UnCovered Insights

From a global survey of patients with UC

While a majority felt comfortable talking with their HCPs about UC management1†:

of patients

(n=966)

worried if they asked too many
questions they would be seen
as a difficult patient

of patients

(n=1197)

wished they talked more
about their medical
management fears

Which additional factors can
patients experience?

Health Disparities
*

This was an Internet-based survey completed between January 2010 and February 2011 by 775 patients with UC, 475 practicing HCPs (gastroenterologists, internal medicine physicians specializing in gastrointestinal medicine, and IBD or gastroenterology nurses), and 50 nurses from Canada and 5 European countries: France, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.2

†

The Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Narrative global surveys were Pfizer-sponsored surveys that examined patient and physician perspectives on living with UC and tried to identify gaps in optimal care. Questions explored patient-physician interactions, UC management goals, and resources for improving communication. Questionnaire surveys were conducted across 10 countries, covering aspects of UC, including diagnosis, treatment, and impact on patient quality of life (QOL), in addition to standard demographic information. Descriptive statistics were calculated. The surveys were conducted between August 2017 and February 2018 and included 2100 self-identified UC patients and 1254 global physicians. Survey limitations: The data collected relied on accurate and honest recall and reporting by both patients and physicians. Patients were recruited based on physician-referred and self-reported diagnoses of UC, and their disease severity was established from their patient-reported medication history. Survey questions asked respondents to indicate their level of agreement from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” Results reported here as “agree” contain responses from the “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree” categories. Patient participation was also limited to those with Internet access and those who had registered as members of online panels. Some physicians were also surveyed by phone, so there is potential for the interviewer to impact the results.1,3

‡

Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of papers published from inception of certain databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Embase Classic, and PsycINFO) to September 30, 2020 of cross-sectional surveys or case-control studies that recruited at least 100 adult patients with IBD. These surveys and studies reported prevalence of symptoms of anxiety or depression according to validated screening instruments. Overall, pooled prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 32.1% in 58 studies (including 18,915 patients). When patients with UC were considered separately, this pooled prevalence was 34.2% in 22 studies (including 3915 patients).4

IBD=inflammatory bowel disease; UC=ulcerative colitis.

References: 1. Rubin DT, Hart A, Panaccione R, et al; The Global UC Narrative Survey Panel. Ulcerative Colitis Narrative global survey findings: communication gaps and agreements between patients and physicians. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2021;27(7):1096-1106. 2. Schreiber S, Panés J, Louis E, Holley D, Buch M, Paridaens K. Perception gaps between patients with ulcerative colitis and healthcare professionals: an online survey. BMC Gastroenterol. 2012;12:108:1-11. https://bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-230X-12-108. Accessed February 21, 2023. 3. Dubinsky MC, Watanabe K, Molander P, et al; The Global UC Narrative Survey Panel. Ulcerative Colitis Narrative global survey findings: the impact of living with ulcerative colitis—patients’ and physicians’ view. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2021;27(11):1747-1755. 4. Barberio B, Zamani M, Black CJ, Savarino EV, Ford AC. Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;6(5):359-370. 5. Rubin DT, Dubinsky MC, Martino S, Hewett KA, Panés J. Communication between physicians and patients with ulcerative colitis: reflections and insights from a qualitative study of in-office patient–physician visits.
Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2017;23(4):494-501.