Putting Patients with Ulcerative Colitis on the Right Treatment Path

Treatment selection for ulcerative colitis (UC) is largely based on disease severity and prognosis: patients with mild UC often achieve remission with 5-aminosalicylates, whereas patients with active disease often require corticosteroids. Though effective for managing flares and inducing remission, prolonged steroid use leads to serious side effects. Fortunately, the search for steroid-sparing UC treatments has, in the last decade, led to the development of biologics and small-molecule inhibitors that target specific immune pathways involved in UC. These options provide new hope for many UC patients but have complicated the process of treatment selection for clinicians, leading to variations in practice and substandard outcomes. Guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Gastroenterology outline evidence-based medication choices and emphasize the importance of patient preferences in the treatment-selection process; nevertheless, less than 50% of gastroenterologists participate in shared decision-making with their patients. This interactive activity provides points of view from doctors and patients on the issues they confront as they face UC—issues like steroid use, treatment plans, medication adherence, and general day-to-day living with UC. Each point of view is followed by a brief discussion that will help gastroenterologists incorporate steroid-sparing therapies using small-molecule inhibitors and biologics to achieve UC remission, ensure that patients are knowledgeable about the benefits and drawbacks of available treatment options, and improve communication with patients regarding their care. Educational Partner: RedMedEd Medium: Interactive Module Commercial Support: Support for this activity has been provided through educational grants from AbbVie Inc.; Janssen Biotech, Inc., administered by Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC; and Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A, Inc.

After completing this activity, participants will be able to:

• Design individualized treatment plans that incorporate the use of biologics and small-molecule inhibitors to minimize steroid use and to maximize disease remission;
• Promote improved medication adherence, satisfaction with therapy, and disease outcomes by engaging patients in shared decision-making.