Find out more at www.calprotectin.co.uk 11 I think that with the current situation with COVID a lot of things will become more virtual and the IBDoc will help with that. From my perspective as long as I have a plan for the next six months I am happy for appointments and testing to be virtual. There are so many people and so few resources that they are going to have to rethink how things are done – sometimes I have been to clinic to see the consultant but I have been well and ticking along fine so that space could have gone to someone with more urgent need. The opposite has also been true when I have been really poorly and have been desperate to talk to someone for advice. Once the structure is in place hopefully the clinical team will be able to prioritise better, and I think most patients will be receptive to this. Patients need the initial support with the first test, but once they have done that I can see the take up being huge, because patients really want something quick. I don’t think they could have made the test any easier to be honest – If you have been offered the chance to use the IBDoc just give it a go, taking the sample isn’t a big deal and the results come through really quickly which is all that matters. Stephen Bonnington Crohn’s Disease Patient “I was introduced to the IBDoc calprotectin test through the pilot scheme conducted at Basildon hospital and following this it has now been accepted for use throughout the trust. I have had Crohn’s Disease for 40 years and have an understanding of how important selfmanagement of IBD is and how the test can play an important part in this. However, I feel the suitability of the test will vary from patient to patient. For newer IBD patients or those yet to be diagnosed there may be a reluctance or uncertainty about carrying out this procedure. It is important that consultants / IBD nurses explain fully to those using the test what is involved, the implications of any “adverse” result and if this does happen what the follow up plan would be. For some patients a “High” result appearing in the App may cause worry if they do not understand what happens next. Watch the Video I would recommend that before taking the test all users actually watch the video shown on the website. I found this really helped me have an understanding of the procedure and helped when using the instruction sheet. I did not find the stool collection sheet particularly practical for my own bowel movements. Like many with IBD I have developed my own stool sample collection method for this test. The actual retrieving of the sample was straight forward and the instructions around what to do after that were easy to follow. When it came to obtaining the results the instructions were straight forward and even if though, as mentioned on the new website link, it can sometimes appear that it is taking a long time for the fluid to appear on the test cassette . I found the Kit and App user friendly and easy to follow. The Patient Support Website has good information both in video and the written form. The patient forum is also a great idea and can become an invaluable source for those new to using the test. Overall, I feel that there is an enormous benefit in using IBDoc for long term patients in the self management of their condition. Results can be seen straight away without the inconvenience of having to go to the hospital and then waiting for results to be sent and - treatment plans can be established more quickly. This has been particularly highlighted during the COVID-19 situation, when many patients would not want to travel to their hospital. Access to past results to look at trends is also important. Charlotte Williams adds: “It would have been nice to implement such practice sooner than we did, but certainly COVID gave us the impetus to see this through and get it signed off. Now that the IBDoc has been rolled out across the three sites within the Trust my role is to oversee the implementation and the impact of it so that we can make sure that the investment case has been achieved during the next 6 and 12 months. Also we need to make sure it is built into the planning moving forward, but once it is routine within clinical practice it will be largely handed over to the governance of the gastroenterology services.” Dr Munuswamy concludes: “It is really satisfying to know you helped introduce a technology that will benefit patients and promote personalised selfcare for long term conditions which has been adopted across the Trust. The IBDoc also has the potential to transform clinical care pathways, reduce clinical admissions, reduce the need for clinic appointments and save costs by intervening quickly to stop disease progression and the requirement for more costly interventions.” Who Needs That Valuable Clinic Space? BÜHLMANN IBDoc® Calprotectin helps you to better manage clinic resources and improve patient care. IBD patients can perform their own tests at home and read them using Smartphone technology: ■ Rapid quantitative calprotectin results for patient and clinic ■Helps prioritise clinic space ■Helps monitor mucosal health and predict flares ■Connect remotely with patients ■Patient involvement and reassurance See how IBDoc can help in your clinic Email: digestivedx@alphalabs.co.uk
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