Fiorino G^1,2, Lytras T³, Younge L⁴, Fidalgo C⁵, Coenen S⁶, Chaparro M⁷, Allocca M^1,2, Arnott I⁸, Bossuyt P⁹, Burisch J¹⁰, Campmans-Kuijpers M¹¹, de Ridder L¹², Dignass A¹³, Drohan C¹⁴, Feakins R¹⁵, Gilardi D², Grosek J¹⁶, Groß E¹⁴, Hart A¹⁷, Jäghult S¹⁸, Katsanos K¹⁹, Lönnfors S¹⁴, Panis Y²⁰, Perovic M¹⁴, Pierik M²¹, Rimola J²², Tulchinsky H²³, Gisbert JP⁷. J Crohns Colitis. 2020 Feb 7. pii: jjaa023. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaa023. [Epub ahead of print]

Author information

1 Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.

2 IBD Center, Dept. of Gastroenterology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Institute, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.

3 Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece.

4 Barts Health - Royal London Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

5 Gastroenterology Division, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal.

6 Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

7 Gastroenterology Unit, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa (IIS-IP), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, Spain.

8 Gastrointestinal Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

9 Imelda GI Clinical Research Centre, Imeldaziekenhuis Bonheiden, Bonheiden, Belgium.

10 Gastrounit, Medical Division, Hvidovre University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.

11 University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Groningen, Netherlands.

12 Erasmus Medical Center Children's Hospital Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

13 Department of Medicine I , Agaplesion Markus Hospital, Goethe-University , Frankfurt am Main , Germany.

14 European Federation of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Associations (EFCCA), Brussels, Belgium.

15 Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal London Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

16 Department of Abdominal Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

17 IBD Unit , St. Mark's Hospital, Harrow, United Kingdom.

18 Stockholm Gastro Center, Karolinska Institutet Danderyds sjukhus, Stockholm, Sweden.

19 Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Division of Internal Medicine, University and Medical School of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.

20 APHP Beaujon Department of Colorectal Surgery, Clichy, France.

21 Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC) Department of NUTRIM, School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism, Maastricht, Netherlands.

22 IBD unit, Radiology Department, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

23 Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Department of Surgery, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Abstract

The management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complex, and requires tight control of disease activity, close monitoring to avoid treatment side effects, healthcare professionals with expertise in IBD and an interdisciplinary, holistic approach. Despite various efforts to standardise structures, processes and outcomes1-8, and due to the high variability at the local, national and international levels, there are still no clear definitions or outcome measures available to establish quality of care standards for IBD patients that are applicable in all contexts and all countries. For this reason, the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) supported the construction of a list of criteria summarising current standards of care in IBD. The list comprises 111 quality standard points grouped into three main domains (structure n=31, process n=42, outcomes n=38) and is based on scientific evidence, interdisciplinary expert consensus and patient-oriented perspectives. The list of proposed criteria is intended to represent the position of ECCO regarding the optimum quality of care that should be available to patients. Since healthcare systems and regulations vary considerably between countries, this list may require adaptation at local and national levels. It is recognised that not all these criteria that have been identified as optimal will be available in every unit. However, ECCO will continue its efforts to develop and coordinate projects and initiatives that will help to guarantee optimal quality of care for all IBD patients.