ICN Research Explained: Variability of Psychosocial Services Within the ImproveCareNow Learning Health System: Opportunities for Optimization

Why was this study done?

The purpose of this study was to understand the availability of psychosocial services across ImproveCareNow.

There have been calls by ImproveCareNow, medical providers, and young persons living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and their families for increased access to psychosocial services. Psychosocial services are provided by social workers and psychologists with specialized training and skills to support the unique needs of young people living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and their families. For example, psychosocial providers can teach coping skills to manage and navigate through everyday stressors that accompany living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (for example, learning how to swallow pills, or screen for symptoms of depression or anxiety), provide coaching for techniques to tolerate symptom flares during treatment (for example, learning relaxation strategies), and help young people prepare for medical procedures (for example, create a coping plan before scopes). Psychosocial providers can also connect patients and families with important resources in the community and support young persons in gaining more independence in their care as they transition into adulthood (for example, learning how to speak up in a doctor’s visit). Understanding the availability of these psychosocial services helps us know how the psychosocial needs are being met for our young persons living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and their families.