Use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), consisting mainly of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (URC), is characterized by chronic involvement of the gastrointestinal tract, alternating periods of activity and remission. Different studies have shown a progressive increase in the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by the general population, with the combined use of CAM with conventional therapy predominating compared to the replacement of conventional CAm therapy. CAM includes traditional practices such as acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, homeopathy and herbal medicine, as well as more modern complementary practices including aromatherapy and reflexology. There are not studies of CAM use by patients with IBD in Brazil, so this study is necessary to increase the knowledge of such a therapeutic instrument by the health team, as well as to familiarize the most common and most used forms of CAM by patients with IBD. The objectives of the study are to determine the prevalence of outpatients who choose to use CAM; To evaluate predictive factors for the use of CAM; To identify the types of CAM used by the patients and to estimate the degree of satisfaction with the use of CAM and the degree of adherence to conventional treatment. A cross-sectional study will be carried out with an interview with patients and questionnaires. Patients with IBD under ambulatory follow-up will be included in the Hospital das Clínicas of Botucatu Medical School. Data such as age, sex, schooling, profession, marital status, race / ethnicity, and lifestyle habits such as smoking will be collected. Type of disease, date of diagnosis, time of illness, current symptoms, type of treatment, conventional therapy in use, number of hospitalizations, relapse rate, IBD-related surgeries will be obtained at the time of the interview. CD activity will be evaluated by the Harvey Bradshaw Index. URC activity will be assessed by the Mayo Score. Quality of life will be assessed through the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ). The symptoms of anxiety and depression will be evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Drug adherence will be assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). The evaluation of the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine will be through a questionnaire on the use of different types of CAM, such as herbs, phytotherapy, teas, homeopathy, omega 3, glutamine, acupuncture, meditation, or any other therapy. The indication, dose, frequency, time of use, duration of treatment and patient satisfaction with the use of CAM will be evaluated. Statistical analysis: descriptive statistics and association tests. (AU)