This month, the “Take Charge of Your Health Today” page focuses on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and a new care model for this set of diseases. Vianca Masucci, health advocate, and Esther L. Bush, president and CEO, both of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, exchanged ideas on this topic.
VM: Good afternoon, Ms. Bush. This month we’re talking about IBD. IBD is a general term for a variety of diseases that cause discomfort in the intestine. These types of diseases have become more commonly reported in the Black community over the past few decades.
EB: That makes sense, Vianca. As you were talking, I thought of all of people I know who have some kind of IBD, and I realized that I know quite a few. I don’t remember talking much about these before, say, a decade ago. There has been a greater awareness of these diseases in the Black communities. I don’t know if that’s because more people are getting them or because more people are talking about them.
VM: That’s an interesting point, Ms. Bush. I don’t think that researchers have figured that out either. One of the issues with IBD is that people don’t like to talk about the symptoms because they’re very personal. As Dr. Regueiro says in the overview, people don’t like talking about their bowels. But these symptoms can have a big effect on an individual’s life. The symptoms range from pain to abnormal bowel habits to symptoms outside of the bowels like arthritis. IBD can make it hard for a person to rely on his or her body. It can be a very stressful disease—and that stress affects both physical and mental health.
EB: It’s complex. I imagine that someone suffering from IBD would need a team of professionals to help with all the different parts of the disease. That’s why I’m very impressed with Dr. Regueiro’s research. He has found that patients living with IBD have better health outcomes when their care is coordinated by one person and is provided in one location. Patients don’t have to run around town, going to appointments to get help for the different effects of these diseases, like the physical, mental and social. Dr. Regueiro’s care model allows for the patient to be treated for everything in one place. This whole-patient care model has been proven to work better for patients with IBD.
VM: Isn’t that amazing? The approach is so modern. I love to see research in action and changing care for the better.
EB: Yes, I’m happy to know that care is getting better for those who suffer from IBD. If you are one of those folks living with
IBD, don’t be discouraged if you’ve had a hard time finding good care in the past. Things are changing; you can find better care. If you have symptoms of IBD but you’ve never gotten care, now is the time to seek it out. IBD is not embarrassing; it’s a disease, and there are things that can help it.
VM: I’d also like to say that participating in research is especially important right now. As Dr. Regueiro mentioned, the IBD research is now focusing on how IBD affects different populations and how to treat these differences. One of the reasons that IBD may be becoming more commonly reported in the Black community is because the symptoms may present differently in African Americans than in other populations. But researchers cannot find out if and how IBD is different in the African American population unless there are African Americans participating in the IBD research studies.
EB: Absolutely, Vianca. I encourage all those reading to learn more about the IBD research studies featured on this page. Participating in health care research can improve care.
VM: Thanks for your time, Ms. Bush. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on next month’s topic, which is family planning.
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