It Takes a Team: IBD Experts from Many Specialties Working Together to Help You Live Your Best Life

Learning you have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) brings about a lot of changes. IBD can affect all aspects of your life—changing how you feel, how you see yourself, and even your everyday activities. Simple things most people take for granted, like going to work every day or planning an outing with friends, may suddenly become difficult. Even deciding what to eat or navigating the grocery store can feel challenging.

Managing your IBD can feel like a full-time job, but it doesn’t have to be. There are GI-specialized experts ready to work together to help you manage the medical, dietary, and mental health aspects of IBD. And when you have the right team in place, you can learn how to get control of your symptoms and your life.

Comprehensive, coordinated, and personalized IBD care

IBD is a complex condition that often requires expertise from a variety of specialists to address both its physical and emotional effects. But trying to piece together your own care team can be challenging due to long wait times, lack of access to dietary and gut-brain support, and a fragmented system.

“As we advance our scientific understanding of IBD, there’s increasing evidence supporting an integrated, comprehensive approach that includes dietary and behavioral health interventions,” says Gil Melmed, MD, MS, a renowned gastroenterologist and leading researcher on clinical outcomes in IBD.

Dr. Melmed also serves on the medical advisory board at Oshi Health, a national provider of virtual whole-person care for people with gastrointestinal conditions, including IBD. “Oshi is a leader in delivering collaborative multidisciplinary care to improve patient outcomes and experiences. And their telehealth model makes it accessible and convenient to people wherever they are.”

Research supports the benefits of this type of care program for people with IBD. Studies show that multidisciplinary care reduces hospitalizations and surgeries for people with IBD while improving overall well-being. And a recent clinical trial involving Oshi’s model showed that 89% of patients reported improved quality of life, and 92% experienced symptom improvement in four months or less.

“People living with IBD all too often suffer in silence, trying to get through symptoms on their own so as not to be a burden to those around them,” says Michael Currier, PA-C. Currier understands that firsthand as both a lifelong IBD patient and a lead GI provider at Oshi.

“Often people with IBD don't know what to eat, which medication might be best, or how to address life’s stressors—which often tips a patient over into a flare. Our whole-person, team-based approach gives IBD patients unlimited access to GI providers, including nurse practitioners, GI registered dietitians, and gut-brain specialists, who can support them as they navigate all of these things.”
  

Benefits to patients

Whole-person IBD care doesn’t just improve health outcomes—it also makes life easier for patients in a number of ways, such as:

• Personalized treatment plans: The care team works together to create and refine evidence-based, tailored care plans based on each person’s unique needs. Patients also know they’re supported by experts who understand the whole picture of their health status and concerns and are committed to helping them achieve their individual goals: whether it’s reducing flares, improving energy levels, or just feeling more in control.

   

• Continuous, convenient support: Patients can typically schedule virtual appointments within a few days at Oshi, reducing wait times, and they have the ability to reach out to their care team with questions or concerns at any time.

   

• Cost-effective care: By reducing ER visits, avoidable procedures, and escalations of high-cost medication use, the whole-person approach can lead to substantial cost savings for patients.

“It was a great experience to have a provider take the time to fully understand and develop a collaborative plan with me,” says Oshi patient Lori P. “[Before Oshi, managing my health] has been a very frustrating experience, and having a path forward is very important and provides hope!”

Extending your in-person care with dietary and mental health support

In today’s healthcare landscape, whole-person programs like the one offered by Oshi Health are transforming GI care. They offer virtual access to medical, dietary, and gut-brain support while integrating easily with traditional in-person GI practices to support your current care plan. That allows patients to connect with their care teams more frequently without the need for in-office visits.

“From start to finish, the process was seamless and patient-focused. The support I received was personalized and exceeded my expectations, making me feel truly cared for,” reports Oshi patient Fernanda B.

What does thriving mean to you?     

Living with IBD is not easy. But it is manageable when IBD care is rooted in collaboration. Having a team of specialists from diverse fields working together can help you achieve your goals and live your life fully.

What are your goals for living with IBD?

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