Winner
Treating beyond symptoms in IBD: The Steroid Assessment Tool
Summary of work
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects more than 250,000 patients in the UK. Treatment strategies have progressed to treating beyond the symptoms of IBD, aiming to reduce mucosal inflammation, sustain remission and prevent bowel damage. Steroids have a place in the treatment pathway but do not sustain remission and are associated with significant side effects.
The European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) defines appropriate steroid use and recommends an exit strategy for steroid-dependent patients. However, gastroenterologists are not aware that inappropriate steroid use occurs in their own clinical practice.
AbbVie’s ‘Treating Beyond Symptoms’ programme employed steroid use audit data to drive self-realisation and inspire change in UK gastroenterologists, to drive appropriate steroid use in patients with IBD.
Using a simple digital tool, UK experts audited their own practice and were surprised to see high steroid use among their patients. The expert group became advocates for change, motivated to share their data, targeting more than 300 UK HCPs with high steroid use, which comprises approximately 22% of UK IBD clinicians. Awareness of inappropriate steroid use, and the changes driven by the self-realisation of the need to optimise steroids, have the potential to impact the care delivered to over 50,000 UK IBD patients.
Judges’ comments
This entry had a much more persuasive methodology, was clever and powerful, strongly based on insight and set up to have longevity in its planning and design. We found it impressive and inspirational in the way it used real world data to drive behavioural change and delivered improved patient outcomes (as opposed to market research data). Unsurprisingly, the endorsements reflected this and were very strong, broad and meaningful. A clear winner.
