Internet-orientated Assessment of QOL and Actual Treatment Status in Japanese Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The 3I survey.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS This survey aimed to compare actual lifestyle factors and QOL between Japanese IBD patients and healthy Japanese controls, by questionnaire using an internet-web system. METHODS Through the internet-web system, we asked 464 patients with Crohn's disease [CD], 360 patients with ulcerative colitis [UC], and 4100 healthy controls to answer a questionnaire including an eight-item short-form health survey [SF-8]. The survey was conducted until data had been accumulated from the predetermined numbers of patients [120 patients each with CD and UC] and healthy controls [240 subjects]. RESULTS QOL assessment by SF-8 revealed scores for six of the eight subscale items and the summary score for the mental component to be significantly lower in the CD and UC groups than in controls. There was a significant negative correlation between each SF-8 score and the degree of CD and UC symptoms. The marriage rate in adult patients was significantly lower in the CD than in the UC group or the controls. The mean annual income and the employment rate were significantly lower in the CD than in the UC group or the controls. CD patients receiving biologicals were more frequently satisfied with the efficacy of treatment than UC patients were with their treatment regimens [56% vs 29%]. CONCLUSIONS Actual lifestyle factors and QOL appear to be impaired in Japanese patients with IBD, especially those with CD. The subjective efficacy of biologicals might be greater in CD than in UC.