Evaluation of a Novel Educational Tool in Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The NEAT Study.

OBJECTIVES

Among adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), nonadherence rates are 50 to 88% across medications. Improving education in adults with IBD has been shown to improve coping and adherence to treatment in adults with IBD. Therapeutic patient education (TPE) has been used in patients with chronic diseases to train patients in skills to support treatment adaptation and condition management. This study tested the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a novel TPE intervention in adolescents with IBD.

METHODS

In this pilot, mixed-methods study, we evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of TPE with the IBD Pocket Guide on medication adherence, IBD knowledge, and transition readiness in adolescents ages 11 to 18 years. Medication adherence was monitored using a MedMinder Pill Dispensing system. Participants who were <90% adherent during a 4-week pre-intervention monitoring period were randomized to either a usual care group or an educational intervention (EI) group. Participants were followed for an additional 4 weeks after intervention.

RESULTS

Trends were found in the EI group indicating improved medication adherence and IBD knowledge compared with the usual care group, though differences between groups did not reach statistical significance. Qualitative data showed that participants perceived that they had improved knowledge after the educational intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Therapeutic patient education may be beneficial for improving patient medication adherence and IBD knowledge. Future directions include testing the effects of the intervention with a larger sample.