Bethesda, MD (Sept. 15, 2014) — The treatment of Crohn's disease is evolving. To help gastroenterologists better identify and manage their Crohn's disease patients, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has created a clinical decision tool to guide GIs in their decision-making process. The "Identification, Assessment, and Initial Medical Treatment in Crohn's Disease Clinical Decision Support Tool," published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA, synthesizes gastroenterologist's understanding of the disease with data from recent studies to create a pathway for GIs to follow in assessing and treating their patients.
"As health-care systems move towards providing better quality care, it is important for gastroenterologists to have clinical support tools that will help them treat underlying disease, as well as the whole person," according to William J. Sandborn, MD, AGAF, author of the AGA clinical decision tool, from the division of gastroenterology, University of San Diego, La Jolla, CA. "This clinical support tool represents a big step forward for the treatment of Crohn's disease and was created using a rigorous review process."
To create the tool, a workgroup reviewed current literature to develop a practical algorithm to help clinicians:
- Assess patients for active inflammation and the presence of complications and co-morbid conditions.
- Risk stratify their patients.
- Apply effective therapies based on AGA's latest guideline
- Ensure that patient's underlying inflammation is sufficiently treated.
Point-of-Care Clinical Decision Support Tools
The Identification, Assessment, and Initial Medical Treatment in Crohn's Disease Clinical Decision Support Tool is the most recent clinical decision tool published by the AGA. A number of other clinical decision support tools have been developed for hot topic issues in GI, such as biologics for Crohn's disease, colonoscopy surveillance and hepatitis C screening and evaluation.
Learn more at http://www.gastro.org/practice/medical-position-statements.
References
Sandborn WJ. Crohn's Disease Evaluation and Treatment: Clinical Decision Tool. Gastroenterology 2014:147(3):702-705.
Terdiman, JP et al. American Gastroenterological Association Institute Guideline on the Use of Thiopurines, Methotrexate, and Anti-TNF-Alpha Biologic Drugs for the Induction and Maintenance of Remission in Inflammatory Crohn's Disease. Gastroenterology 2013;145(6):1459�.
About the AGA Institute
The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to include 17,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. http://www.gastro.org.
About Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA Institute, is the most prominent scientific journal in the specialty and is in the top 1 percent of indexed medical journals internationally. The journal publishes clinical and basic science studies of all aspects of the digestive system, including the liver and pancreas, as well as nutrition. The journal is abstracted and indexed in Biological Abstracts, Current Awareness in Biological Sciences, Chemical Abstracts, Current Contents, Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus, Nutrition Abstracts and Science Citation Index. For more information, visit http://www.gastrojournal.org.
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