Journal of IMIDs (Apr 2022)
Immune-mediated disease units: A step forward for patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Abstract
Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are a group of chronic and, up to date, incurable disorders affecting 5-7% of the Western population that share common pathophysiologic mechanisms. IMIDs may generate long-term disability as well as a significant reduction quality of life, causing a high socio-sanitary impact. Approximately, 20% of patients diagnosed with IMID suffer from at least another coexisting IMID and other comorbidities are also frequent, which has a significant impact on their therapeutic management. Moreover, the transversality and the associated complexity of caring for these patients make its multidisciplinary management necessary and represent a challenge for the traditional structure of health-care services. In this context, IMID multidisciplinary units emerge as a new collaborative care model that could provide an optimal framework for sharing clinical decisions between different specialists involved in the care of these patients. Some of the main goals of this multidisciplinary model should be the early diagnosis of concomitant IMIDs, the optimization of the treatment and the improvement the quality of care. For this purpose, shared decision about the most appropriate care plan and a multidisciplinary consultation must be warranted. In addition, IMIDs units should offer supporting programs such as those rely on the prevention of potentially avoidable transmissible diseases, neoplasms related to immunosuppression, and cardiovascular disease; resources of psychological support; and programs of transition from pediatric to adult healthcare.
