US and European Patient and Health Care Professional Perspectives on Fatigue in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease: Results From the Communicating Needs and Features of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Experiences Survey

Background: Fatigue is a burdensome symptom of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The Communicating Needs and Features of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Experiences (CONFIDE) study investigated how patients and health care professionals (HCPs) in the United States (US) and Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom) perceived the experiences and impact of CD/UC-related symptoms. Methods: Online, quantitative, cross-sectional surveys were conducted separately among patients with moderate-to-severe CD/UC (defined based on previous treatment, steroid use, and/or hospitalization) and HCPs who treated patients with CD/UC. US and Europe data are presented as descriptive statistics. Results: Surveys were completed by 215 US and 547 European patients with CD, 200 US and 556 European patients with UC, and 200 US and 503 European HCPs. Overall, 35.8% US and 34.2% European patients with CD and 27.5% US and 20.9% European patients with UC reported currently experiencing fatigue (in past month). Most of these patients reported severe fatigue and indicated that CD/UC negatively affected their sleep, energy levels, and quality of life (QoL). The majority of patients currently experiencing but not discussing fatigue with their HCPs at every appointment wished they discussed it more frequently. However, most HCPs reported proactively discussing fatigue at routine appointments. Approximately 20% patients with CD/UC reported declining participation in work/school, social activities, and sports/physical exercise, and avoiding sexual activities due to fatigue. Conclusions: US and European patients with CD/UC experienced severe burden of fatigue, which negatively affected their QoL. Assessing and discussing fatigue in routine appointments is critical for effectively managing this debilitating symptom.