During this third round of audit, the inclusion of inpatient experience and primary care questionnaires provided the opportunity to give an even fuller picture of the provision of IBD care throughout the UK.
Key recommendations
- All admitted IBD patients should receive input from specialist multidisciplinary teams with experience of managing these complex disorders.
- Local IBD teams should consider whether the general nursing staff has sufficient awareness and knowledge of IBD and initiate appropriate educational interventions and care pathways to support high quality nursing. The routine involvement of a specialist IBD nurse in the day-to-day care of IBD patients at ward level is seen as a potential driver to improving the overall experience of nursing care.
- All hospitalised patients with active IBD require routine documentation of nutritional intake, weight measurement and dietetic review. Nursing care plans should identify nutrition as a key element of day-to-day care.
- Ward medical and nursing teams should review their local Trust policies and current practice with regard to the frequency and effectiveness of pain assessment and provision of analgesia.
- Discharge policies for IBD patients require local review to ensure that patients receive good quality pre-discharge information regarding medication, self-care and follow-up plans.