The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) continues to rise in the world, and now affects more than 1.6 million Americans. We currently have a better understanding of the pathogenesis of IBD, but the management of this disease is in turn becoming complex, where the clinician needs to use evidence-based medicine to personalize the use of the appropriate therapy for each individual patient. Becoming familiar with therapeutic drug monitoring for treatment optimization and understanding the importance of objective targets as a way of disease monitoring is essential for maintaining remission and preventing complications. Patients with IBD may experience symptoms affecting not only the gastrointestinal tract but also several organ systems. It is essential for the healthcare provider to use current guidelines in screening as prevention and treatment of various complications to maximize patient’s health and quality of care.
The purpose of this symposium is to provide up-to-date information on the pathogenesis of the disease process, as well as evidence-based recommendations on the management and monitoring of IBD. Through this course, the gap between state-of-the-art practice and current practices will be closed to provide a high quality, comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to patients with IBD. We believe this approach will improve the quality of care provided to patients, decrease the risk of complications and morbidity, and reduce the overall burden of
IBD on the patient and society.
