Developing IBD counsellors in low- and middle-income countries: bridging gaps in patient care
Summary: The global burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is progressively increasing, with a particularly sharp rise in newly industrialized and resource-limited settings. These regions face unique and pressing challenges in IBD care, including a shortage of trained specialists, delayed or mis...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | EClinicalMedicine |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589537025001506 |
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| author | Arshdeep Singh Arshia Bhardwaj Riya Sharma Vandana Midha Ajit Sood |
| author_facet | Arshdeep Singh Arshia Bhardwaj Riya Sharma Vandana Midha Ajit Sood |
| author_sort | Arshdeep Singh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: The global burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is progressively increasing, with a particularly sharp rise in newly industrialized and resource-limited settings. These regions face unique and pressing challenges in IBD care, including a shortage of trained specialists, delayed or missed diagnoses, financial and geographic barriers to access, and the persistent stigma surrounding the disease. Furthermore, cultural dynamics; especially the prominent role of family in healthcare decisions; profoundly influence patient engagement, treatment adherence, and overall outcomes. However, current healthcare models and global guidelines are largely shaped by Western systems that prioritize individual patient autonomy and may not fully align with the sociocultural realities of resource-limited settings. This viewpoint aims to highlight the need for culturally contextualized, scalable solutions to improve IBD care. Specifically, we propose the development and integration of IBD counsellors as a novel and pragmatic approach to bridge existing gaps in care. These counsellors, trained in the nuances of IBD and sensitive to local sociocultural norms, can serve as critical intermediaries; facilitating communication among patients, families, and providers; supporting adherence and follow-up; and offering tailored psychosocial and dietary guidance. By presenting this model, we seek to stimulate discourse around innovative, culturally adaptive strategies and advocate for policy-level recognition and investment to promote health equity in IBD care globally. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-84dfcb7dd11a4b0f8fb51a8ca2118d5f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2589-5370 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EClinicalMedicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-84dfcb7dd11a4b0f8fb51a8ca2118d5f2025-08-20T02:19:22ZengElsevierEClinicalMedicine2589-53702025-05-018310321810.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103218Developing IBD counsellors in low- and middle-income countries: bridging gaps in patient careArshdeep Singh0Arshia Bhardwaj1Riya Sharma2Vandana Midha3Ajit Sood4Department of Gastroenterology, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab 141001, IndiaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab 141001, IndiaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab 141001, IndiaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab 141001, IndiaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab 141001, India; Corresponding author.Summary: The global burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is progressively increasing, with a particularly sharp rise in newly industrialized and resource-limited settings. These regions face unique and pressing challenges in IBD care, including a shortage of trained specialists, delayed or missed diagnoses, financial and geographic barriers to access, and the persistent stigma surrounding the disease. Furthermore, cultural dynamics; especially the prominent role of family in healthcare decisions; profoundly influence patient engagement, treatment adherence, and overall outcomes. However, current healthcare models and global guidelines are largely shaped by Western systems that prioritize individual patient autonomy and may not fully align with the sociocultural realities of resource-limited settings. This viewpoint aims to highlight the need for culturally contextualized, scalable solutions to improve IBD care. Specifically, we propose the development and integration of IBD counsellors as a novel and pragmatic approach to bridge existing gaps in care. These counsellors, trained in the nuances of IBD and sensitive to local sociocultural norms, can serve as critical intermediaries; facilitating communication among patients, families, and providers; supporting adherence and follow-up; and offering tailored psychosocial and dietary guidance. By presenting this model, we seek to stimulate discourse around innovative, culturally adaptive strategies and advocate for policy-level recognition and investment to promote health equity in IBD care globally.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589537025001506Inflammatory bowel diseasesIBD counsellorsHealth equityHealthcare deliveryGlobal health |
| spellingShingle | Arshdeep Singh Arshia Bhardwaj Riya Sharma Vandana Midha Ajit Sood Developing IBD counsellors in low- and middle-income countries: bridging gaps in patient care EClinicalMedicine Inflammatory bowel diseases IBD counsellors Health equity Healthcare delivery Global health |
| title | Developing IBD counsellors in low- and middle-income countries: bridging gaps in patient care |
| title_full | Developing IBD counsellors in low- and middle-income countries: bridging gaps in patient care |
| title_fullStr | Developing IBD counsellors in low- and middle-income countries: bridging gaps in patient care |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developing IBD counsellors in low- and middle-income countries: bridging gaps in patient care |
| title_short | Developing IBD counsellors in low- and middle-income countries: bridging gaps in patient care |
| title_sort | developing ibd counsellors in low and middle income countries bridging gaps in patient care |
| topic | Inflammatory bowel diseases IBD counsellors Health equity Healthcare delivery Global health |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589537025001506 |
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