Search

Background: The incidence of pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the costs of caring for individuals with IBD are both increasing. We calculated the direct healthcare costs of pediatric IBD in the first year after diagnosis and developed a model to predict children who would have high costs (top 25th percentile)., Methods: Using data from the Canadian Children IBD Network inception cohort (≤16 years of age, diagnosed between 2013 and 2019) deterministically linked to health administrative data from Ontario, Canada, we estimated direct healthcare and medication costs accrued between 31 and 365 days after diagnosis. Candidate predictors included age at diagnosis, sex, rural/urban residence location, distance to pediatric center, neighborhood income quintile, IBD type, initial therapy, disease activity, diagnostic delay, health services utilization or surgery around diagnosis, regular primary care provider, and receipt of mental health care. Logistic regression with stepwise elimination was used for model building; 5-fold nested cross-validation optimized and improved model accuracy while limiting overfitting., Results: The mean cost among 487 children with IBD was CA$15 168 ± 15 305. Initial treatment (anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy, aminosalicylates, or systemic steroids), having a mental health care encounter, undergoing surgery, emergency department visit at diagnosis, sex, and age were predictors of increased costs, while having a regular primary care provider was a predictor of decreased costs. The C-statistic for our model was 0.71., Conclusions: The cost of caring for children with IBD in the first year after diagnosis is immense and can be predicted based on characteristics at diagnosis. Efforts that mitigate rising costs without compromising quality of care are needed., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Patterns of health services utilization among children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are important to understand as the number of children with IBD continues to increase. We compared health services utilization and surgery among children diagnosed <10 years of age (Paris classification: A1a) and between 10 and <16 years of age (A1b)., Methods: Incident cases of IBD diagnosed <16 years of age were identified using validated algorithms from deterministically linked health administrative data in 5 Canadian provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec) to conduct a retrospective cohort study. We compared the frequency of IBD-specific outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations across age groups (A1a vs A1b [reference]) using negative binomial regression. The risk of surgery was compared across age groups using Cox proportional hazards models. Models were adjusted for sex, rural/urban residence location, and mean neighborhood income quintile. Province-specific estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis., Results: Among the 1165 (65.7% Crohn's) children with IBD included in our study, there were no age differences in the frequency of hospitalizations (rate ratio [RR], 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74-1.06) or outpatient visits (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.78-1.16). A1a children had fewer emergency department visits (RR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.50-0.97) and were less likely to require a Crohn's-related surgery (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.26-0.92). The risk of colectomy was similar among children with ulcerative colitis in both age groups (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.49-1.01)., Conclusions: Patterns of health services utilization are generally similar when comparing children diagnosed across age groups., (© 2024 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.)

The COVID-19 pandemic had a monumental impact on the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) community. At the beginning of the pandemic, knowledge on the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on IBD was lacking, especially in those with medication-suppressed immune systems. Throughout the pandemic, scientific literature exponentially expanded, resulting in clinical guidance and vaccine recommendations for individuals with IBD. Crohn's and Colitis Canada established the COVID-19 and IBD Taskforce to process and communicate rapidly transforming knowledge into guidance for individuals with IBD and their caregivers, healthcare providers, and policy makers. Recommendations at the onset of the pandemic were based on conjecture from experience of prior viruses, with a precautionary principle in mind. We now know that the risk of acquiring COVID-19 in those with IBD is the same as the general population. As with healthy populations, advanced age and comorbidities increase the risk for severe COVID-19. Individuals with IBD who are actively flaring and/or who require high doses of prednisone are susceptible to severe COVID-19 outcomes. Consequently, sustaining maintenance therapies (e.g., biologics) is recommended. A three-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccine regimen in those with IBD produces a robust antibody response with a similar adverse event profile as the general population. Breakthrough infections following vaccine have been observed, particularly as the virus continues to evolve, which supports receiving a bivalent vaccine booster. Limited data exist on the impact of IBD and its therapies on long-term outcomes following COVID-19. Ongoing research is necessary to address new concerns manifesting in those with IBD throughout the evolving pandemic., Competing Interests: Gilaad Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck, and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 Sept. 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Charles Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada, and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen, and Takeda. Jennifer Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire, and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate Lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. Sanjay Murthy has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Laura Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada, and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Léa Caplan has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Eric Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). None: Joseph Windsor, Stephanie Coward, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sanchez, Sara Ghandeharian, Noelle Rohatinsky, Jake Weinstein, Tyrel Jones May, Mira Browne, Nazanin Jannati, Sahar Tabatabavakili, James Im, Saketh Meka, Quinn Goddard, Julia Gorospe, Taylor Stocks, Najla Kanaan, Daniel Stuart, Tesa Ramsay, Kelly Robinson, Diane Charron-Bishop., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Psychiatric disorders are 1.5 to 2 times more prevalent in persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than in the general population, with pooled prevalence estimates of 21% for clinical anxiety and 15% for depression. Rates are even higher when considering mental health symptoms, as nearly one-third of persons with IBD experience elevated anxiety symptoms and one-quarter experience depression symptoms. Rates of these symptoms were much higher during periods of disease activity, more common in women than men, and more common in Crohn's disease than ulcerative colitis. There is robust evidence of the detrimental effects of comorbid depression and anxiety on the subsequent course of IBD based on longitudinal studies tracking outcomes over time. However, psychiatric disorders and IBD have bidirectional effects, with each affecting risk of the other. Elevated mental health concerns have been consistently associated with greater healthcare utilization and costs related to IBD. There is some signal that low resilience in adolescence could be a risk factor for developing IBD and that enhancing resilience may improve mental health and intestinal disease outcomes in IBD. Psychological therapies used to treat anxiety and depression occurring in the context of IBD have been shown to significantly improve the quality of life for persons with IBD and reduce anxiety and depression. There is less evidence in regard to the impact of psychotropic medications on mental health or disease outcomes in persons with IBD. There is consensus, however, that mental health must be addressed as part of comprehensive IBD care for children and adults., Competing Interests: Lesley Graff has been a consultant with Roche Canada. Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Eric Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). Gilaad Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 September 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen and Takeda. Jennifer Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate Lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. anjay Murthy has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Laura Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Charles Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada, and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. None: Joseph Windsor, Stephanie Coward, Rose Geist, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez, Nazanin Jannati, Tyrel Jones May, Tasbeen Akhtar Sheekha, Tal Davis, Jake Weinstein, Ghaida Dahlwi, James Im, Jessica Amankwah Osei, Noelle Rohatinsky, Sara Ghandeharian, Quinn Goddard, Julia Gorospe, Shira Gertsman, Michelle Louis, Richelle Wagner, Colten Brass, & Rhonda Sanderson., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Intestinal cancers may arise as a complication of IBD itself, while extra-intestinal cancers may arise due to some of the immunosuppressive therapies used to treat IBD. Colorectal cancer (CRC) and small bowel cancer risks remain elevated among persons with IBD as compared to age-and sex-matched members of the general population, and the lifetime risk of these cancers is strongly correlated to cumulative intestinal inflammatory burden. However, the cumulative risk of cancer, even among those with IBD is still low. Some studies suggest that IBD-CRC incidence has declined over the years, possibly owing to improved treatment standards and improved detection and management of early neoplastic lesions. Across studies of extra-intestinal cancers, there are generally higher incidences of melanoma, hepatobiliary cancer, and lung cancer and no higher incidences of breast cancer or prostate cancer, with equivocal risk of cervical cancer, among persons with IBD. While the relative risks of some extra-intestinal cancers are increased with treatment, the absolute risks of these cancers remain low and the decision to forego treatment in light of these risks should be carefully weighed against the increased risks of intestinal cancers and other disease-related complications with undertreated inflammatory disease. Quality improvement efforts should focus on optimized surveillance of cancers for which surveillance strategies exist (colorectal cancer, hepatobiliary cancer, cervical cancers, and skin cancers) and the development of cost-effective surveillance strategies for less common cancers associated with IBD., Competing Interests: Sanjay Murthy has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Eric Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). Charles Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada, and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen, and Takeda. Jennifer Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire, and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Gilaad Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck, and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 Sept. 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate Lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. Laura Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada, and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Harminder Singh has been on advisory boards or consulted for Pendopharm, Amgen Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Guardant Health Inc. and has received research funding for an investigator-initiated study from Pfizer. None: Joseph Windsor, Priscilla Matthews, Parul Tandon, Stephanie Coward, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez, Noelle Rohatinsky, Sara Ghandeharian, Saketh Meka, Roxana Chis, Sarang Gupta, Eric Cheah, Tal Davis, Jake Weinstein, James Im, Quinn Goddard, Julia Gorospe, Jennifer Loschiavo, Kaitlyn McQuaid, Joseph D’Addario, Ken Silver, & Robyn Oppenheim., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), consisting of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is recognized across the world, though Canada has among the highest burdens of IBD in the world. The Canadian Gastro-Intestinal Epidemiology Consortium (CanGIEC) led a six-province study that demonstrated the compounding prevalence of IBD in Canada from 400 per 100,000 in 2002 to 636 per 100,000 in 2014. The prevalence in 2023 is estimated at 825 per 100,000, meaning that over 320,000 people in Canada are living with IBD. Prevalence is forecasted to rise by 2.44% per year such that 1.1% of the population, 470,000 Canadians, will live with IBD by 2035. The overall incidence of IBD in 2023 is 30 per 100,000 person-years, indicating that over 11,000 Canadians will be newly diagnosed with IBD in 2023. Incidence is forecasted to rise by 0.58% per year up to 32.1 per 100,000 by 2035. The rising incidence of IBD is propelled by pediatric-onset IBD, which is rising by 1.23% per year from 15.6 per 100,000 in 2023 to 18.0 per 100,000 in 2035. In contrast, incidence rates among adults and seniors are relatively stable. Understanding the determinates of IBD has expanded through prospective cohort studies such as the Crohn's and Colitis Canada Genetic, Environmental, Microbial (CCC-GEM) project. Consensus recommendations towards diet, lifestyle, behavioural and environmental modifications have been proposed by international organizations with the goal of optimizing disease control and ultimately preventing the development of IBD. Despite these efforts, Canadian healthcare systems will need to prepare for the rising number of people living with IBD., Competing Interests: Eric Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is the Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Charles Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie, has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris and has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen and Takeda. Jennifer Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate Lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. Sanjay Murthy has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Laura Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Gilaad Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 September 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Léa Caplan has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Xin Yu Yang has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Kate Mason has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. None: Stephanie Coward, Joseph Windsor, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez, Tal Davis, Noelle Rohatinsky, Sara Ghandeharian, James Im, Jake Weinstein, Quinn Goddard, Jennifer Bennett, Maxime Bergevin, Rhonda Sanderson and Colton Brass., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

The therapeutic landscape for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has changed considerably over the past two decades, owing to the development and widespread penetration of targeted therapies, including biologics and small molecules. While some conventional treatments continue to have an important role in the management of IBD, treatment of IBD is increasingly moving towards targeted therapies given their greater efficacy and safety in comparison to conventional agents. Early introduction of these therapies-particularly in persons with Crohn's disease-combining targeted therapies with traditional anti-metabolite immunomodulators and targeting objective markers of disease activity (in addition to symptoms), have been shown to improve health outcomes and will be increasingly adopted over time. The substantially increased costs associated with targeted therapies has led to a ballooning of healthcare expenditure to treat IBD over the past 15 years. The introduction of less expensive biosimilar anti-tumour necrosis factor therapies may bend this cost curve downwards, potentially allowing for more widespread access to these medications. Newer therapies targeting different inflammatory pathways and complementary and alternative therapies (including novel diets) will continue to shape the IBD treatment landscape. More precise use of a growing number of targeted therapies in the right individuals at the right time will help minimize the development of expensive and disabling complications, which has the potential to further reduce costs and improve outcomes., Competing Interests: Sanjay K. Murthy has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Adam V. Weizman has been a speaker for AbbVie, Janssen, Viatris, Amgen and Pendopharm and is on the advisory boards for AbbVie, Takeda and Ferring. Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Gilaad G. Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. September 7, 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Eric I. Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). Charles N. Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen and Takeda. Jennifer L. Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate Lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. Ashley Patel has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Sophia Russo has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Laura E. Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. None: Joseph W. Windsor, Stephanie Coward, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez, Noelle Rohatinsky, Sara Ghandeharian, Nasruddin Sabrie, Sarang Gupta, Gurmun Brar, Rabia Khan, James H. B. Im, Tal Davis, Jake Weinstein, Joëlle St-Pierre, Roxana Chis, Saketh Meka, Eric Cheah, Quinn Goddard, Julia Gorospe, Jack Kerr, Kayla D. Beaudoin, Jonathan Blyth, Stephanie Blyth, and Diane Charron-Bishop., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Canadian children and adolescents are among the highest in the world, and the incidence is rising most rapidly in children under five years of age. These young children may have either a typical form of IBD with multi-factorial aetiology, or they may have a monogenic form. Despite the growing number of children in Canada living with this important chronic disease, there are few available medical therapies approved by Health Canada due to the omission of children from most clinical trials of newly developed biologics. As a result, off-label use of medications is common, and physicians have learned to use existing therapies more effectively. In addition, most Canadian children are treated in multidisciplinary, specialty clinics by physicians with extra training or experience in IBD, as well as specialist nurses, dietitians, mental health care providers and other allied health professionals. This specialized clinic approach has facilitated cutting edge research, led by Canadian clinicians and scientists, to understand the causes of IBD, the optimal use of therapies, and the best ways to treat children from a biopsychosocial perspective. Canadians are engaged in work to understand the monogenic causes of IBD; the interaction between genes, the environment, and the microbiome; and how to address the mental health concerns and medical needs of adolescents and young adults transitioning from paediatric to adult care., Competing Interests: Matthew Carroll has received speaker fees from AbbVie. Anne Griffiths past holder of the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the SickKids Foundation. She has received research support from AbbVie Canada. She is co-owner of copyright for the Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) and for the TUMMY-UC. She has been an advisory board member or consultant for AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Pfizer, Takeda, and has received speaker fees from AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. David Mack is co-owner of Biotagenics Inc. Eytan Wine has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Nestle Health Sciences, Mead Johnson Nutrition, and Biojamp. Gilaad Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck, and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 Sept. 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Charles Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada, and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen, and Takeda. Jennifer Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire, and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. Sanjay Murthy has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Laura Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada, and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Jules Verdugo has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Samantha Morin has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Taylor Morganstein has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship and is a member of the Patient Adboard of AbbVie Canada. Eric Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). None: Wael El-Matary, Colette Deslandres, Rose Geist, Tal Davis, Jake Weinstein, Justin Chan, Rabia Khan, Priscilla Matthews, Joseph Windsor, Stephanie Coward, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez, Noelle Rohatinsky, Sara Ghandeharian, James Im, Quinn Goddard, Julia Gorospe, & Lisa Banning., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

People living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their caregivers are faced with indirect and out-of-pocket costs that they would not otherwise experience. These costs impact one's ability to contribute to the economy to their fullest potential. The indirect costs of IBD in Canada are estimated to be at least $1.51 billion in 2023 and include costs associated with lost productivity resulting from a combination of missed work (absenteeism), decreased workplace productivity (presenteeism), unemployment, premature mortality, and caregiving costs. Unemployment is the largest contributor to indirect costs ($1.14 billion), followed by costs of absenteeism and presenteeism ($285 million). Caregiving costs for children with IBD are estimated to be nearly $58 million. Canadians with IBD also pay $536 million every year for care that is not covered by universal or supplemental private health insurance; this includes allied healthcare (e.g., care provided by psychologists), medication, and other supportive therapy. Combined, the indirect and out-of-pocket costs of IBD in Canada are estimated at more than $2 billion CAD in 2023. This is substantially higher than the estimate of $1.29 billion in Crohn's and Colitis Canada's 2018 Impact of IBD report with differences attributable to a combination of rising prevalence, inflation, and the addition of presenteeism and caregiving costs to the total indirect costs., Competing Interests: Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Gilaad Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck, and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 Sept. 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Sanjay Murthy has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Eric Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). Charles Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada, and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen, and Takeda. Jennifer Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire, and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate Lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. Kate Latos has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Kate Mason has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Naji Blache has received an AbbVie IBD scholarhip. Laura Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada, and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. None: James Im, Stephanie Coward, Joseph Windsor, Sanjay Murthy, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez, Noelle Rohatinsky, Sara Ghandeharian, Tyrel Jones May, Sahar Tabatabavakili, Rohit Jogendran, Jake Weinstein, Rabia Khan, Elias Hazan, Mira Browne, Tal Davis, Quinn Goddard, Julia Gorospe, Jack Kerr, & Anna Sklar., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Approximately one out of every 88 seniors has inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and this is expected to increase in the future. They are more likely to have left-sided disease in ulcerative colitis, and isolated colonic disease in Crohn's disease; perianal disease is less common. Other common diagnoses in the elderly must also be considered when they initially present to a healthcare provider. Treatment of the elderly is similar to younger persons with IBD, though considerations of the increased risk of infections and malignancy must be considered when using immune modulating drugs. Whether anti-TNF therapies increase the risk of infections is not definitive, though newer biologics, including vedolizumab and ustekinumab, are thought to be safer with lower risk of adverse events. Polypharmacy and frailty are other considerations in the elderly when choosing a treatment, as frailty is associated with worse outcomes. Costs for IBD-related hospitalizations are higher in the elderly compared with younger persons. When elderly persons with IBD are cared for by a gastroenterologist, their outcomes tend to be better. However, as elderly persons with IBD continue to age, they may not have access to the same care as younger people with IBD due to deficiencies in their ability to use or access technology., Competing Interests: Seth Shaffer has served on advisory boards or consulted with Takeda Canada, AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, and Pfizer Canada. Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen, and Takeda. Jennifer Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire, and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate Lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. Sanjay Murthy haspreviously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Laura Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada, and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Eric Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). Gilaad Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck, and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 Sept. 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Charles Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada, and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. None: Joseph Windsor, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez, Noelle Rohatinsky, Sara Ghandeharian, Parul Tandon, Joëlle St-Pierre, Navneet Natt, Tal Davis, Jake Weinstein, James Im, Quinn Goddard, Julia Gorospe, Maxime Bergevin, Ken Silver, Dawna Bowles, Margaret Stewart, Marsha Pearlstein, Elizabeth Dawson., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Sex (the physical and physiologic effects resulting from having specific combinations of sex chromosomes) and gender (sex-associated behaviours, expectations, identities, and roles) significantly affect the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the experience of living with IBD. Sex-influenced physiologic states, like puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and andropause/menopause may also impact and be impacted by IBD. While neither Crohn's disease nor ulcerative colitis is commonly considered sex-determined illnesses, the relative incidence of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis between males and females varies over the life cycle. In terms of gender, women tend to use healthcare resources at slightly higher rates than men and are more likely to have fragmented care. Women are more commonly prescribed opioid medications and are less likely than men to undergo colectomy. Women tend to report lower quality of life and have higher indirect costs due to higher rates of disability. Women are also more likely to take on caregiver roles for children with IBD. Women with IBD are more commonly burdened with adverse mental health concerns and having poor mental health has a more profound impact on women than men. Pregnant people with active IBD have higher rates of adverse outcomes in pregnancy, made worse in regions with poor access to IBD specialist care. The majority of individuals with IBD in Canada do not have access to a pregnancy-in-IBD specialist; access to this type of care has been shown to allay fears and increase knowledge among pregnant people with IBD., Competing Interests: Laura Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Natasha Bollegala has consulted for Takeda, AbbVie, Janssen and Pfizer, and has received honoraria from Takeda, AbbVie and Janssen. Vivian Huang has received consulting fees from AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Janssen, Sandoz, Roche and Takeda. She has received speaker fees from AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Ferring, Janssen, Merck, Organon, Pfizer, Sandoz, Takeda and Viatris. Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Eric Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). Gilaad Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 September, 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Sanjay Murthy has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen and Takeda. Charles Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. Jennifer Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate Lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. James Sousa has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Taylor Morganstein has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship and is a member of the Patient Adboard of AbbVie Canada. Ann Weber has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Cynthia Seow has served on advisory boards for Janssen, AbbVie, Takeda, Pfizer, Fresenius Kabi and Bristol Myers Squibb. She has received speaker honoraria from Janssen, AbbVie, Takeda, Pfizer and Fresenius Kabi. She has received funding from Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Calgary Health Trust and New South Wales Government Health. None: Joseph Windsor, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez, Noelle Rohatinsky, Sara Ghandeharian, Tal Davis, Jake Weinstein, James Im, Nazanin Jannati, Rabia Khan, Priscilla Matthews, Tyrel Jones May, Sahar Tabatabavakili, Rohit Jogendran, Elias Hazan, Mira Browne, Saketh Meka, Sonya Vukovic, Manisha Jogendran, Malini Hu, Jessica Amankwah Osei, Grace Wang, Tasbeen Akhtar Sheekha, Ghaida Dahlwi, Quinn Goddard, Julia Gorospe, Cyanne Nisbett, Shira Gertsman, & Taylor Stocks., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Rising compounding prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Kaplan GG, Windsor JW. The four epidemiological stages in the global evolution of inflammatory bowel disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;18:56-66.) and pandemic-exacerbated health system resource limitations have resulted in significant variability in access to high-quality, evidence-based, person-centered specialty care for Canadians living with IBD. Individuals with IBD have identified long wait times, gaps in biopsychosocial care, treatment and travel expenses, and geographic and provider variation in IBD specialty care and knowledge as some of the key barriers to access. Care delivered within integrated models of care (IMC) has shown promise related to impact on disease-related outcomes and quality of life. However, access to these models is limited within the Canadian healthcare systems and much remains to be learned about the most appropriate IMC team composition and roles. Although eHealth technologies have been leveraged to overcome some access challenges since COVID-19, more research is needed to understand how best to integrate eHealth modalities (i.e., video or telephone visits) into routine IBD care. Many individuals with IBD are satisfied with these eHealth modalities. However, not all disease assessment and monitoring can be achieved through virtual modalities. The need for access to person-centered, objective disease monitoring strategies, inclusive of point of care intestinal ultrasound, is more pressing than ever given pandemic-exacerbated restrictions in access to endoscopy and cross-sectional imaging. Supporting learning healthcare systems for IBD and research relating to the strategic use of innovative and integrative implementation strategies for evidence-based IBD care interventions are greatly needed. Data derived from this research will be essential to appropriately allocating scarce resources aimed at improving person-centred access to cost-effective IBD care., Competing Interests: S.M. has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. K.N. reports advisory board fees from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Ferring, Takeda, Celltrion, Bristol Mysers Squibb, Fresnius Kabi; speaker’s fees from AbbVie, Takeda, Pfizer; and research support from AbbVie, Takeda, Pfizer and the Helmsley Trust. E.K. is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. S.F. has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Pendopharm, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz and Takeda. E.B. holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). G.K. has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 Sept. 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. C.B. is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. L.T. has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. K.L. has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. K.L. has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. N.B. has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. P.D. has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. A.P. has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. A.B. has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen and Takeda. J.J. has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. The other authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Healthcare utilization among people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Canada has shifted from inpatient management to outpatient management; fewer people with IBD are admitted to hospitals or undergo surgery, but outpatient visits have become more frequent. Although the frequency of emergency department (ED) visits among adults and seniors with IBD decreased, the frequency of ED visits among children with IBD increased. Additionally, there is variation in the utilization of IBD health services within and between provinces and across ethnocultural and sociodemographic groups. For example, First Nations individuals with IBD are more likely to be hospitalized than the general IBD population. South Asian children with Crohn's disease are hospitalized more often than their Caucasian peers at diagnosis, but not during follow-up. Immigrants to Canada who develop IBD have higher health services utilization, but a lower risk of surgery compared to individuals born in Canada. The total direct healthcare costs of IBD, including the cost of hospitalizations, ED visits, outpatient visits, endoscopy, cross-sectional imaging, and medications are rising rapidly. The direct health system and medication costs of IBD in Canada are estimated to be $3.33 billion in 2023, potentially ranging from $2.19 billion to $4.47 billion. This is an increase from an estimated $1.28 billion in 2018, likely due to sharp increases in the use of biologic therapy over the past two decades. In 2017, 50% of total direct healthcare costs can be attributed to biologic therapies; the proportion of total direct healthcare costs attributed to biologic therapies today is likely even greater., Competing Interests: Ellen Kuenzig is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Laura Targownik has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Sanjay Murthy has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. Eric Benchimol holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is the Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). Charles Bernstein is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. Alain Bitton has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb Hoffman-LaRoche, Amgen. He has received research support from AbbVie. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, AbbVie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, and has received educational support from Fresenius Kabi, Amgen and Takeda. Jennifer Jones has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire and Takeda. She is the co-chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Kate Lee has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. Kate Latos has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Kate Mason has received an AbbVie IBD scholarship. Gilaad Kaplan has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 Sept. 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. None: Stephanie Coward, Joseph Windsor, Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez, Noelle Rohatinsky, Sara Ghandeharian, James Im, Rohit Jogendran, Saketh Meka, Jake Weinstein, Tyrel Jones May, Manisha Jogendran, Sahar Tabatabavakili, Elias Hazan, Malini Hu, Jessica Amankwah Osei, Rabia Khan, Grace Wang, Mira Browne, Tal Davis, Quinn Goddard, Julia Gorospe, Jack Kerr, & Anna Sklar., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

The burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (i.e., associated direct and indirect costs, prevalence of disease, personal impact to the individual and to caregivers) continues to increase in Canada. The prevalence of IBD has increased since Crohn's and Colitis Canada's 2018 Impact of IBD report from an estimated 270,000 Canadians living with IBD in 2018 to an estimated 322,600 Canadians living with IBD today in 2023. Consequently, associated costs of IBD have also dramatically increased from an estimated $2.57 billion in 2018 to an estimated $5.38 billion in 2023; this increase is due to multiple factors including increased prevalence of disease, inflation, and additional identified factors (e.g., presenteeism, costs of childcare). Beyond the economic impact of IBD, these diseases have a significant impact on people living with the disease and their caregivers, including different presentations of disease, different commonly associated extra-intestinal manifestations or comorbid conditions, and different barriers to accessing care. In this supplementary issue, we review: Evolving trends in the epidemiology of IBD; updated estimates of indirect and direct costs (including out-of-pocket costs) associated with IBD; information specific to IBD in children, adolescents, and seniors; issues related to IBD pertaining to sex and gender; information specific to risks associated with COVID-19 and cancer related to IBD; an overview of current treatments for IBD; and evolving care models, including access to care., Competing Interests: M.E.K. is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. S.K.M. has previously participated in advisory board meetings for AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, Shire and Ferring and as a speaker at educational events sponsored by Janssen, AbbVie and Pfizer. E.I.B. holds the Northbridge Financial Corporation Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a joint Hospital-University Chair between the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, and the SickKids Foundation. He has acted as a consultant for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and McKesson Canada for matters unrelated to medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. He is Past Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). A.B. has participated in advisory boards with AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, McKesson, BioJamp, Bristol Myers Squibb. He is on the speaker’s panel for Janssen, Takeda, Abbvie and has participated in educational activities supported by Viatris, Fresenius Kabi, and Amgen. C.B. is supported in part by the Bingham Chair in Gastroenterology. He is on Advisory Boards for AbbVie Canada, Amgen Canada, Bristol Myers Squibb, JAMP Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Canada, Lilly Canada, Pfizer Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Takeda Canada. He is a Consultant for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Takeda. He has received educational grants from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Takeda Canada, Janssen Canada, and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. He is on the speaker’s panel for AbbVie Canada, Janssen Canada, Pfizer Canada, and Takeda Canada. Received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada. J.L.J. has received honoraria for speaking and consulting for AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Shire, and Takeda. She is the co-chair elect of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. K.L. has received honoraria from AbbVie Corporation and Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. L.E.T. has received research funding from AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Sandoz Canada, Amgen Canada, Gilead Canada, Roche Canada and Pfizer Canada, and has been on Advisory Boards for Janssen Canada, AbbVie Canada, Takeda Canada, Pfizer Canada, Merck Canada, Roche Canada, Sandoz Canada, Organon Canada, Fresesnius Kabi Canada, Eli Lilly Canada, and Amgen Canada. She is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. G.G.K. has received honoraria for speaking or consultancy from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, and Takeda. He has received research support from Ferring, Janssen, AbbVie, GlaxoSmith Kline, Merck, and Shire. He has been a consultant for Gilead. He shares ownership of a patent: TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND PBC. UTI Limited Partnership, assignee. Patent WO2019046959A1. PCT/CA2018/051098. 7 Sept. 2018. He is a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. The other authors declared no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Background and Aims: Age is a major prognostic factor for COVID-19 outcomes. The effect of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] activity on COVID-19 is unclear. We examined the relationship between IBD activity and COVID-19 severity according to age., Methods: We included IBD patients diagnosed with COVID-19, reported to SECURE-IBD between March 13, 2020 and August 3, 2021. Clinical IBD activity was measured by physician global assessment [PGA]. COVID-19-related outcomes were [1] intensive care unit [ICU] admission, ventilation or death, and [2] hospitalization. Using generalized estimating equations, we determined adjusted odds ratios [aOR, 95% confidence interval] for moderate and severe PGA vs clinical remission/mild PGA, controlling for demographics, medications and COVID-19 diagnosis period. We performed stratified analyses by age [≤50 vs >50 years]., Results: Among 6078 patients, adverse COVID-19 outcomes were more common with active IBD: ICU/ventilation/death in 3.6% [175/4898] of remission/mild, 4.9% [45/920] of moderate and 8.8% [23/260] of severe [p < 0.001]; and hospitalization in 13% [649/4898] of remission/mild, 19% [178/920] of moderate and 38% [100/260] of severe [p < 0.001]. Stratified by decade, effect sizes were larger for younger patients. In patients ≤50 years, severe PGA was independently associated with ICU/ventilation/death (aOR 3.27 [1.15-9.30]) and hospitalization (aOR 4.62 [2.83-7.55]). In contrast, severe PGA was not independently associated with COVID-19 outcomes in those older than 50 years., Conclusions: Clinically active IBD may be a risk factor for severe COVID-19, particularly in younger patients. IBD disease control, including through medication compliance, and strategies to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection amongst patients with active IBD [e.g. distancing, immunization] are key to limit adverse COVID-19 outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an immune-mediated vasculitis of childhood with multi-organ inflammation. We determined the risk of subsequent immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID), including arthritis, type 1 diabetes, IBD, autoimmune liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis and multiple sclerosis., Methods: We conducted a matched population-based cohort study using health administrative data from Ontario, Canada. Children aged <18 years born between 1991 and 2016 diagnosed with KD (n = 3753) were matched to 5 non-KD controls from the general population (n = 18 749). We determined the incidence of IMIDs after resolution of KD. Three- and 12-month washout periods were used to exclude KD-related symptoms., Results: There was an elevated risk of arthritis in KD patients compared with non-KD controls, starting 3 months after index date [103.0 vs 12.7 per 100 000 person-years (PYs); incidence rate ratio 8.07 (95% CI 4.95, 13.2); hazard ratio 8.08 (95% CI 4.95, 13.2), resulting in the overall incidence of IMIDs being elevated in KD patients (175.1 vs 68.0 per 100 000 PYs; incidence rate ratio 2.58 (95% CI 1.93, 3.43); hazard ratio 2.58, 95% CI 1.94, 3.43]. However, there was no increased risk for diabetes, IBD, autoimmune liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis or multiple sclerosis in KD patients. Similar results were observed using a 12-month washout period., Conclusion: Children diagnosed with KD were at increased risk of arthritis following the acute KD event, but not other IMIDs. Health-care providers should monitor for arthritis in children following a diagnosis of KD., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Modern, specialised care for children with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] may have resulted in changes in health services use. We report trends over time in health services utilisation and surgery for children with IBD and children without IBD., Methods: Children aged <18 years, diagnosed with IBD between 1994 and 2013 [n = 5518] and followed until 2015 in Ontario, Canada, were identified from health administrative data and matched to children without IBD on age, sex, rural/urban household, and income [n = 26,677]. We report the annual percentage change [APC] with 95% confidence intervals [CI] in the rate of outpatient visits, emergency department [ED] visits, and hospitalisations, using negative binomial regression for events within 5 years from the diagnosis/index date. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to report APC in hazards of intestinal resection [Crohn's disease; CD] and colectomy [ulcerative colitis; UC]., Results: IBD-specific hospitalisation rates decreased by 2.5% [95% CI 1.8-3.2%] annually, and all-cause hospitalisation rates in children without IBD decreased by 4.3% [95% CI 3.5-5.1%] annually. Intestinal resection risk in CD decreased by 6.0% [95% CI 4.6-7.3%] annually and colectomy risk in UC decreased by 3.0% [95% CI 0.7-5.2%] annually. In contrast, IBD-specific outpatient visit rates increased after 2005 by 4.0% [95% CI 3.1-4.9%] annually. Similar trends in outpatient visits were not observed in children without IBD., Conclusions: Hospitalisations and surgeries decreased over time while outpatient visits increased after 2005. Decreasing hospitalisations were mirrored in children without IBD, likely resulting from a combination of changes in disease management and health system factors., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation.)

Background and Aims: Although venous thromboembolism [VTE] is a well-known complication of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] in adults, limited data exist on the risk in children. We report the incidence of VTE among children with and without IBD., Methods: We conducted a matched cohort study within a distributed network of population-based Canadian provincial health administrative databases. Children <16 years diagnosed with IBD were identified using validated algorithms from administrative data in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Québec and compared to age- and sex-matched children without IBD. Hospitalizations for VTE within 5 years of IBD diagnosis were identified. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to pool province-specific incidence rates and incidence rate ratios [IRR] with 95% confidence intervals [CI]. Hazard ratios [HR] from Cox proportional hazards models were pooled with fixed-effects meta-analysis., Results: The 5-year incidence of VTE among 3593 children with IBD was 31.2 [95% CI 23.7-41.0] per 10 000 person-years [PY] compared to 0.8 [95% CI 0.4-1.7] per 10 000 PY among 16 289 children without IBD [unadjusted IRR 38.84, 95% CI 16.59-90.83; adjusted HR 22.91, 95% CI 11.50-45.63]. VTE was less common in Crohn's disease than ulcerative colitis [unadjusted IRR 0.47, 95% CI 0.27-0.83; adjusted HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.29-0.94]. The findings were similar for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism when comparing children with and without IBD., Conclusions: The risk of VTE is much higher in children with IBD than controls without IBD. While the absolute risk is low, we found a higher incidence rate than previously described in the pediatric literature.Conference Presentation: An abstract based on the data included in this paper was presented at Canadian Digestive Diseases Week [Montréal, Canada] in March 2020., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation.)

There has been a dramatic rise in mental health difficulties during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While young adults have the lowest risk of hospitalization and mortality due to COVID-19, they have been identified as being at highest risk of detrimental mental health outcomes during the pandemic, along with women, those with lower socioeconomic status and those with pre-existing mental health conditions. Somewhat of a crisis in mental health has emerged across the general population through the evolution of the pandemic. A national Canadian survey identified a quadrupling of those experiencing pervasive elevated anxiety symptoms early in the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels, and a doubling of those with pervasive elevated depressive symptoms. Independent of the pandemic, persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can face multiple challenges related to their disease, which can result in a significant psychosocial burden and psychologic distress. Anxiety and depression have been found to be more prevalent in persons with IBD. Many potential factors contribute to the increased psychologic distress and negative impacts on mental health of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons with IBD. These include the fears of contracting COVID-19 or infecting other people. Many believe that IBD or its treatments predispose them to an increased risk of COVID-19 or a worse outcome if acquired. Concerns about access to health care add to mental distress. People with IBD generally report lower quality of life (QOL) compared to community controls. Psychologic interventions, in addition to adequate disease control, have been shown to improve health-related QOL. Uncertainty is another factor associated with reduced health-related QOL. Most studies suggest that persons with IBD have suffered QOL impairment during the pandemic in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. Uncertainties brought on by the pandemic are important contributors for some of the reduction in QOL., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

At the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there were many unknowns: transmission vectors of the virus, appropriate intervention strategies and if being immunocompromised due to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for example, or medications put a person at increased risk for severe COVID-19. Imposing and relaxing of public health restrictions at different times and in different regions in Canada led to different epidemiologies of the virus in different provinces and territories. In order to understand the waxing and waning of waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to understand the effective reproductive number ( R t ) and the countervailing forces that exert upward or downward pressure on the spread of the virus at a given point in time. As many regions in Canada deal with a third wave, the primary forces affecting the R t of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 are variants of concern and the increasing vaccinations of Canadians leading to increased population-level immunity. Fortunately, for the IBD population, current research suggests that those with IBD are not at increased risk of contracting COVID-19, nor of having a more severe disease course when compared to the general population., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) typically results in a mild infection, similar to those without IBD. Children and adolescents have less severe manifestations of COVID-19 compared to older people, whether or not they have IBD. However, some IBD medications (in particular, corticosteroids) are associated with more severe COVID-19. During the first year of the global pandemic, more IBD care was provided with online technology, necessitated by efforts to reduce hospital and clinic visits. Additionally, non-endoscopic monitoring of inflammation has been required due to the cancellation of non-urgent procedures, resulting in longer endoscopy wait-times. In contrast, pregnant people (with and without IBD) who contract COVID-19 are at increased risk of severe manifestations, death and preterm delivery, making them a priority for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 protective measures and vaccination. Few studies have examined effect of COVID-19 on IBD-related disease activity in pregnant people with IBD. The pandemic has significantly affected the mental health and sense of well-being of children and their families, as well as pregnant people with IBD. These groups were much more likely to experience anxiety and depression compared with prior to the pandemic, even while concern has mostly abated regarding the effect of IBD medications and COVID-19 severity. Unfortunately, the availability of mental health care providers who specialize in people with IBD has not kept pace with the increasing demand., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered a globally focused vaccine development program that produced multiple successful vaccines within a year. Four SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been approved for use in Canada, using two different technologies, all of which have shown excellent efficacy in reducing the rate of symptomatic COVID-19 infection and 100% efficacy in preventing death from COVID-19. People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), like many others with immune-mediated chronic diseases, were excluded from the pivotal trials of these vaccines, leading to early hesitancy by regulatory bodies to endorse administering the vaccines to these groups. However, recent data has shown that the adverse event rate to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among people with IBD is similar to the general population. Early data has further shown that people with IBD are capable of mounting a robust immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, particularly following a second dose, whereas the response to the first dose is blunted in those receiving anti-TNF therapy or conventional immunosuppressants (azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate). Based on these data and evidence from previous vaccine programs among people with IBD, multiple national and international expert panels have recommended that individuals with IBD receive complete vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 as soon as possible., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disease that results from dysregulation of the immune system and frequently requires medications that can affect the immune response to infections; therefore, it was imperative to quickly understand the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection on persons living with IBD and how that risk may be increased by commonly used IBD medications. The IBD research community in Canada and beyond quickly established collaborative efforts to better understand the specific risk posed by COVID-19 on persons with IBD. We learned that IBD itself was not a risk factor for death or serious complications of COVID-19, and that most commonly used drug classes (with the notable exception of corticosteroids) do not increase the risk of COVID-19-related adverse outcomes. The risk factors for serious complications and death from COVID-19 appear to be similar to those identified in the wider population; those being advanced age, having pre-existing heart or lung disease, and smoking. We recommend that persons with IBD do not alter their course of therapy to avoid complications of COVID-19, though the indiscriminate use of corticosteroids should be avoided. Persons with IBD should follow the same public health recommendations as the general population to reduce their personal risk of acquiring COVID-19., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, in Canada, is over 0.75% in 2021. Many individuals with IBD are immunocompromised. Consequently, the World Health Organization's declaration of a global pandemic uniquely impacted those with IBD. Crohn's and Colitis Canada (CCC) formed the COVID-19 and IBD Taskforce to provide evidence-based guidance during the pandemic to individuals with IBD and their families. The Taskforce met regularly through the course of the pandemic, synthesizing available information on the impact of COVID-19 on IBD. At first, the information was extrapolated from expert consensus guidelines, but eventually, recommendations were adapted for an international registry of worldwide cases of COVID-19 in people with IBD. The task force launched a knowledge translation initiative consisting of a webinar series and online resources to communicate information directly to the IBD community. Taskforce recommendations were posted to CCC's website and included guidance such as risk stratification, management of immunosuppressant medications, physical distancing, and mental health. A weekly webinar series communicated critical information directly to the IBD community. During the pandemic, traffic to CCC's website increased with 484,755 unique views of the COVID-19 webpages and 126,187 views of the 23 webinars, including their video clips. CCC's COVID-19 and IBD Taskforce provided critical guidance to the IBD community as the pandemic emerged, the nation underwent a lockdown, the economy reopened, and the second wave ensued. By integrating public health guidance through the unique prism of a vulnerable population, CCC's knowledge translation platform informed and protected the IBD community., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

The risk of hospitalization and death from Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) increases with age. The extreme elderly have been particularly vulnerable, with those above the age of 80 having a case-fatality rate as high as 15%. Aging of the immune system can lead to impaired inflammatory responses where eradication of an organism such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) is inadequate but is exaggerated in such a way as to enhance pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Frailty and comorbidity are both more common in the elderly, and these can enhance the morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. Studies from Northern California and Italy suggest that elderly persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were more likely to acquire SARS-CoV-2 infection than youths with IBD. While the specific impact of age-related comorbidity is less well established among people with IBD who acquire COVID-19, data from the Surveillance Epidemiology of Coronavirus Under Research Exclusion (SECURE-IBD) database reported that having two or more chronic illnesses was independently associated with developing severe COVID-19 among people with IBD. Despite having exaggerated auto-inflammatory responses, people with IBD do not appear to have an overall increased risk of developing severe COVID-19 than the general population. However, whether seniors with IBD do worse once they acquire COVID-19 compared with seniors without IBD is not known. The advent of telehealth care has posed an information technology challenge for many seniors with and without IBD. Most persons with IBD have expressed satisfaction with virtual IBD health care (phone or video-based visits). While the elderly may have less robust immune responses to vaccinations, learning from experiences with other vaccination programs, especially influenza, have shown that vaccinating seniors decreases both morbidity and mortality and, in turn, healthcare resources., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had a profound impact on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) health care delivery. The implementation of necessary public health restrictions has restricted access to medications, procedures and surgeries throughout the pandemic, catalyzing widespread change in how IBD care is delivered. Rapid large-scale implementation of virtual care modalities has been shown to be feasible and acceptable for the majority of individuals with IBD and health care providers. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing barriers to accessing high-quality, multidisciplinary IBD care that addresses health care needs holistically. Continued implementation and evaluation of both synchronous and asynchronous eHealthcare modalities are required now and in the future in order to determine how best to incorporate these modalities into patient-centred, collaborative care models. Resources must be dedicated to studies that evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of eHealth-enhanced models of IBD care to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness, while increasing quality of life for persons living with IBD. Crohn's and Colitis Canada will continue to play a major leadership role in advocating for the health care delivery models that improve the quality of life for persons living with IBD., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Background and Aims: Cigarette smoking worsens prognosis of Crohn's disease [CD]. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the association between smoking and induction of clinical response or remission with anti-tumour necrosis factor [TNF] therapy., Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane CENTRAL [June 2019] were searched for studies reporting the effect of smoking on short-term clinical response and remission to anti-TNF therapy [≤16 weeks following the first treatment] in patients with CD. Risk ratios [RR] with 95% confidence intervals [CI] were calculated using random-effects models., Results: Eighteen observational studies and three randomised controlled trials [RCT] were included. Current smokers and non-smokers [never or former] had similar rates of clinical response [observational studies RR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.05; RCTs RR: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.41]. When restricted to studies clearly defining the smoking exposure, smokers treated with anti-TNF were less likely to achieve clinical response than non-smokers [smokers defined as having ≥5 cigarettes/day for ≥6 months RR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.48, 0.83; lifetime never smokers vs ever smokers excluding former smokers RR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.93]. Current smokers were also less likely to achieve clinical remission in observational studies [RR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.98], though this association was not seen in RCTs [RR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.21]., Conclusions: Smoking is significantly associated with a reduction in the ability of infliximab or adalimumab to induce short-term clinical response and remission when pooling studies where smoking status was clearly defined. When patients with CD are treated with highly effective therapy, including anti-TNF agents, concurrent smoking cessation may improve clinical outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Originally used for screening of inborn errors of metabolism, routine metabolite profiles of newborns have also been associated with prematurity and some childhood diseases. We sought to determine whether metabolites measured during routine newborn screening could identify infants who develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in childhood., Methods: We conducted a population-based matched case-control study using health administrative data from Ontario, Canada. Children born 2006 to 2015 with IBD were identified using a validated algorithm and matched to 5 controls based on birth date, sex, rural/urban household, and mean neighborhood income quintile at birth. Cases and controls were linked deterministically to metabolic profiles from Newborn Screening Ontario. We fit a lasso penalized logistic regression model and used 10-fold cross-validation to obtain internally valid performance measures. Models included metabolites, amino acids, and endocrine markers. Models also included ratios of metabolites, gestational age, birth weight, mode of delivery, age at serum collection, maternal age at delivery, maternal history of IBD, and parity., Results: Three hundred eight cases of IBD, diagnosed at 5.5 ± 2.8 years, were matched to 1540 controls. No individual metabolites were associated with IBD. The c-statistic was 0.50 for the training data. After 10-fold cross-validation the C statistic was 0.50, indicating no significant association between metabolites and IBD diagnosis., Conclusions: Newborn screening serum metabolites could not identify children who will develop IBD in this population-based cohort. Future studies with an expanded panel of metabolites may provide improved prediction of IBD., (© 2019 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with a high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) during hospitalization. It is unclear if this association persists after discharge. We aimed to assess the incidence of postdischarge VTE in IBD patients and to determine if IBD is associated with increased VTE risk., Methods: We performed a population-based cohort study between 2002 and 2016 using Ontario health administrative data sets. Hospitalized (≥72 hours) adults with IBD were stratified into nonsurgical and surgical cohorts and matched on propensity score to non-IBD controls. Time to postdischarge VTE was assessed by Kaplan-Meier methods, and VTE risk was assessed by Cox proportional hazard models., Results: A total of 81,900 IBD discharges (62,848 nonsurgical and 19,052 surgical) were matched to non-IBD controls. The cumulative incidence of VTE at 12 months after discharge was 2.3% for nonsurgical IBD patients and 1.6% for surgical IBD patients. The incidence increased in the nonsurgical IBD cohort by 4% per year (incidence rate ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.05). In our propensity score-matched analysis, the risk of VTE at 1-month postdischarge was greater in nonsurgical IBD patients (hazard ratio [HR], 1.72; 95% CI, 1.51-1.96) and surgical patients with ulcerative colitis (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.16-2.45) but not surgical patients with Crohn's disease. These trends persisted through 12 months., Conclusions: Nonsurgical IBD patients and surgical patients with ulcerative colitis are 1.7-fold more likely to develop postdischarge VTE than non-IBD patients. These findings support the need for increased vigilance and consideration of thromboprophylaxis in this population., (© 2020 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Aims: The combination of infliximab and azathioprine is more efficacious than either therapy alone for Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]. However, it is uncertain whether these benefits extend to real-world clinical practice and to other combinations of biologics and immunomodulators., Methods: We collected health administrative data from four Canadian provinces representing 78 413 patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] of whom 11 244 were prescribed anti-tumour necrosis factor [anti-TNF] agents. The outcome of interest was the first occurrence of treatment failure: an unplanned IBD-related hospitalization, IBD-related resective surgery, new/recurrent corticosteroid use or anti-TNF switch. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to assess the association between the outcome of interest and receiving combination therapy vs anti-TNF monotherapy. Multivariable regression models were used to assess the impact of choice of immunomodulator or biologic on reaching the composite outcome, and random effects generic inverse variance meta-analysis of deterministically linked data was used to pool the results from the four provinces to obtain aggregate estimates of effect., Results: In comparison with anti-TNF monotherapy, combination therapy was associated with a significant decrease in treatment ineffectiveness for both CD and UC (CD: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66-0.90; UC: aHR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62-0.84). Combination therapy was equally effective for adalimumab and infliximab in CD. In UC azathioprine was superior to methotrexate as the immunomodulatory agent (aHR = 1.52 [95% CI 1.02-2.28]) but not CD (aHR = 1.22 [95% CI 0.96-1.54])., Conclusion: In an analysis of a database of real-world patients with IBD, combination therapy decreased the likelihood of treatment failure in both CD and UC., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Aims: Surgical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may impair female fertility. We conducted a systematic review to determine the risk of infertility and pregnancy outcomes in women with IBD who underwent surgery., Methods: We identified studies evaluating the impact of IBD surgery on infertility and pregnancy outcomes. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled when data were presented using contingency tables. Odds ratios (OR) were pooled when raw numbers were not provided. GRADE was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence., Results: Sixteen observational studies were included, comparing women with and without surgery, open and laparoscopic surgery and before and after surgery. All studies were of low quality. The effect of surgery on infertility at 12 months (RR 5.45, 95% CI 0.41 to 72.57) was uncertain. Similarly, the fertility effects of laparoscopic versus open surgery method were unclear (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.27). The impact of IBD surgery on pregnancy outcomes should be interpreted with caution. Surgery was associated with miscarriage (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.60), use of assisted reproductive technologies (RR 25.09, 95% CI 1.56 to 403.76) and caesarean section (RR 2.23, 95% CI 1.00 to 4.95), but not with stillbirth (RR 1.96, 95% CI 0.42 to 9.18), preterm birth (RR 1.91, 95% CI 0.67 to 5.48), low birth weight (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.08 to 4.83) or small for gestational age (RR 2.54, 95% CI 0.80 to 8.01)., Conclusion: The effect of surgical therapy for IBD on rates of female infertility and pregnancy-related outcomes was uncertain due to poor quality of existing literature., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Background: Variation in health care, when not based on patient preference, may result in poorer care. We determined whether variation in health services utilization, gastroenterologist care and outcomes existed among patients with elderly-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)., Methods: Patients with IBD (diagnosed ≥65 years) were identified from population-based health administrative data from Ontario, Canada (1999 to 2014). We assessed variation across multispecialty physician networks in gastroenterologist care and outcomes using multilevel logistic regression. Median odds ratios (MOR) described variation. We evaluated the association between gastroenterologist supply, specialist care and outcomes., Results: In 4806 patients, there was significant variation in having ever seen a gastroenterologist (MOR 3.35, P < 0.0001), having a gastroenterologist as the primary IBD care provider (MOR 4.16, P < 0.0001), 5-year colectomy risk in ulcerative colitis (MOR 1.38, P = 0.01), immunomodulator use (MOR 1.47, P = 0.001), and corticosteroid use (MOR 1.26, P = 0.006). No variation in emergency department visits, hospitalizations or intestinal resection (Crohn's) was noted. Patients in networks with fewer gastroenterologists were less likely to see a gastroenterologist (odds ratio [OR] 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15 to 0.56), have a gastroenterologist as their primary care provider (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.59), be hospitalized within 5 years (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.98), and be prescribed biologics within 1 year (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.89)., Conclusions: Utilization of gastroenterology care in patients with elderly-onset IBD varies greatly. Patients treated by gastroenterologists and in networks with more gastroenterologists have better outcomes. There is a need to ensure all individuals with IBD have equal access to and utilization of specialist care to ensure the best possible outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.)

Background: As a chronic noncurable disorder often diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) confers a significant financial lifetime burden. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the disease-associated costs (both direct and indirect) associated with IBD in children and young adults., Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature and included any study reporting direct health services-related costs or the indirect economic burden of IBD in persons aged ≤19 years (PROSPERO protocol number CRD2016036128). A technical panel of experts in pediatric gastroenterology and research methodology formulated the review questions, reviewed the search strategies and review methods, and provided input throughout the review process., Results: Nine studies met criteria for inclusion, 6 of which examined direct costs, 1 of which examined both direct and indirect costs, 1 of which assessed indirect costs, and 1 of which assessed out-of-pocket (OOP) costs. Inflammatory bowel disease-associated costs were significantly higher compared with costs in non-IBD populations, with wide variations in cost estimates, which prevented us from conducting a meta-analysis. Costs in Crohn's disease were higher than in ulcerative colitis. Overall, direct costs shifted from inpatient hospitalization as a major source of direct costs to medications, mainly driven by anti-tumor necrosis factor agents, as the leading cause of direct costs. Predictors of high costs included uncontrolled disease, corticosteroid treatment in the previous year, and comorbidity burden., Conclusions: The pediatric literature examining IBD-attributable costs is limited, with widely variable cost estimates. There is a significant knowledge gap in the research surrounding indirect costs and OOP expenses., (© 2019 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Direct health care costs of illness reflect the costs of medically necessary services and treatments paid for by public and private payers, including hospital-based care, outpatient physician consultations, prescription medications, diagnostic testing, complex continuing care, and home care. The costs of caring for persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been rising well above inflation over the past fifteen years in Canada, largely due to the introduction and penetration of expensive biologic therapies. Changing paradigms of care toward frequent patient monitoring and achievement of stricter endpoints for disease control have also increased health services utilization and costs among IBD patients. While the frequency and costs of surgeries and hospitalizations have declined slightly in parallel with increased biologic use (due to better overall disease control), the direct medical costs of care for IBD patients are largely dominated by prescription drug costs. Introduction and penetration of biosimilar agents (at a markedly lower price point than the originator drugs) and increasing gastroenterologist involvement in the care of IBD patients may help to balance rising health care costs while improving health outcomes and quality of life for IBD patients. Ultimately, however, the predicted rise in the prevalence of IBD over the next decade, combined with increasing use of expensive biologic therapies, will likely dictate a continued rise in the direct costs of IBD patient care in Canada for years to come. In 2018, direct health care costs of IBD are estimated to be at least $1 billion Canadian dollars (CAD) and possibly higher than $2 billion CAD., Highlights: 1. In Canada, the direct cost of caring for people living with IBD is estimated in 2018 to be close to $1.28 billion (roughly $4731 per person with IBD).2. The costs of caring for people living with IBD are dominated by prescription drugs, followed by hospitalization costs. There has been a shift away from hospitalizations and toward pharmaceuticals as the predominant driver of direct health care costs in IBD patients, due to the introduction and widespread use of expensive biologic therapies.3. The rates of hospitalizations and major abdominal surgeries have been declining in IBD patients in Canada over the past two decades, possibly due to penetration of biologic therapies and advances in patient management paradigms.4. Inflammatory bowel disease patients cared for by gastroenterologists have better outcomes, including lower risks of surgery and hospitalization. Canadians who live in rural and underserviced areas are less likely to receive gastroenterologist care, potentially due to care preferences or poorer access, which may result in poorer long-term outcomes.5. Introduction of biosimilar agents at a lower price point than originator biologic therapies, increased gastroenterologist care of IBD patients, and improvements in IBD care paradigms may balance overall treatment costs while improving health outcomes and quality of life for IBD patients. However, in the long-term, direct costs of care may continue to increase, dictated by a rising IBD prevalence and increasing use of biologic therapies., Key Summary Points: 1. The costs of health care for patients with IBD are more than double those without IBD.2. Prescription drug use accounts for 42% of total direct costs in IBD patients, and costs to treat IBD continue to rise due to increased use of existing biologic therapies and the introduction of several new biologic therapies in recent years.3. In Manitoba, the mean health care utilization and medication costs for persons with IBD in the year before beginning anti-TNF therapy was $10,206 and increased to $44,786 in the first year of therapy.4. Biosimilar agents to anti-TNF drugs are now entering the Canadian marketplace and may result in cost savings in patients using biologic agents to treat their IBD.5. Timely gastroenterologist care has been associated with reduced risks of requiring surgery and emergency care among ambulatory IBD patients and a reduced risk of death among hospitalized patients with ulcerative colitis.6. Inflammatory bowel disease care provided by gastroenterologists has increased over the past two decades. Even then, the average time from symptom onset to IBD diagnosis exceeds six months, and only one-third of IBD patients receive continuing care with a gastroenterologist during the first five years following diagnosis.7. Senior (age ≥65), rural-dwelling, and non-immigrant IBD patients have less frequent gastroenterologist care than other groups.8. About one in five adults with Crohn's disease and one in eight adults with ulcerative colitis are hospitalized in Ontario every year. Hospitalizations are most common during the first year following IBD diagnosis. Children with IBD (age <18) have the highest rates of hospitalizations and hospital re-admissions.9. In Canada, 16% of patients hospitalized for Crohn's disease undergo an intestinal resection, and 11% of patients hospitalized for ulcerative colitis undergo a colectomy during their initial hospitalization. Rates of intestinal resection and colectomy are declining in Canada in persons with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, respectively.10. In Ontario, one-third of adult-onset Crohn's disease patients undergo intestinal resection within ten years of diagnosis. Among Canadian children with Crohn's disease, approximately one in fifteen children will require intestinal surgery within the first year of diagnosis, and up to one-third will require surgery within ten years of diagnosis.11. In Ontario, the ten-year colectomy risk following ulcerative colitis diagnosis is 13.3% among young persons and adults and 18.5% among individuals with senior-onset ulcerative colitis. In children with ulcerative colitis, the risk of colectomy is 4.8% to 6% in the first year following diagnosis and increases to 15% to 17% by ten years., Gaps in Knowledge and Future Directions: 1. Forecasting models are necessary to predict the rising costs attributable to biologics associated with increasing prevalence of IBD, more frequent use of these medications, and the introduction of newer agents.2. Research into ways to minimize the escalating costs associated with increasing use of biologic therapies to treat IBD (and other chronic diseases) is necessary to ensure sustainability of our publicly funded health care system. Biosimilars offer an opportunity to drive down the cost of biologic therapies, and future research should assess the uptake of biosimilars as new biosimilars are introduced into the marketplace.3. Cost-utility models and budget impact analyses that integrate changes in direct costs (i.e., reduced hospitalizations and increased pharmaceutical costs) with indirect cost savings from improved quality of life are necessary to inform policy decisions.4. Research into ways to reduce IBD hospitalizations further through targeted outpatient interventions is equally important for health system sustainability and to improve patient quality of life.5. Research into reasons for reduced gastroenterologist care among rural and underserviced IBD residents would allow targeted interventions to improve specialist care and thereby improve patient health outcomes and quality of life.

Canada has among the highest rates of IBD in the world, and the number of people living with these disorders is growing rapidly. This has placed a high burden on the health care system and on the Canadian economy-a burden that is only expected to grow in the future. It is important to understand IBD and its impact on Canadian society in order to appropriately plan for health care expenditures, reduce the burden on patients and their families, and improve the quality of life for those afflicted with IBD. In Canada, there is a lack of public awareness of the impact of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Raising awareness is crucial to reducing the social stigma that is common with these diseases and to help individuals maximize their overall quality of life. A better public understanding of IBD can also help to raise and direct funds for research, which could lead to improved treatments and, ultimately, to a cure. This report from Canadian clinicians and researchers to Crohn's and Colitis Canada makes recommendations aimed at the public, policy-makers, scientific funding agencies, charitable foundations and patients regarding future directions for advocacy efforts and areas to emphasize for research spending. The report also identifies gaps in knowledge in the fields of clinical, health systems and epidemiological research.

The indirect cost of illness represents the portion of human capital that is foregone due to lost productivity of patients and their caregivers and out-of-pocket healthcare expenses borne directly by patients. Indirect costs among persons with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) may be substantial because disease onset occurs during the teens and 20s for most persons and is lifelong. Thus, most persons with IBD are affected during periods of study or employment. The literature on indirect health-related costs among persons with IBD is limited, particularly with regard to Canadian studies. The greatest burden of indirect costs in this population relates to absenteeism and presenteeism among working individuals and premature retirement. However, costs related to reduced professional development and personal achievement due to illness-as well as caregiver costs-are largely unknown. After being extrapolated from multiple sources, the total indirect health-related cost of IBD in Canada in 2018 is estimated to be $1.29 billion Canadian dollars. Notably, this may be a significant underestimate because costs relating to presenteeism, reduced achievement and caregiver burden could not be estimated and are excluded from this calculation., Highlights: Indirect costs account for a major portion of total healthcare costs among persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and are higher than indirect costs among persons without IBD.Persons with IBD are more likely to require time off work (absenteeism) and have reduced productivity at work (presenteeism) due to illness as compared with persons without IBD.Premature retirement and long-term disability are major factors contributing to indirect costs among IBD patients.A substantial proportion of individuals with IBD pay out-of-pocket for complementary and alternative medicines.After being extrapolated from multiple sources, the total annual indirect cost of IBD in Canada is estimated to be $1.29 billion CAD in 2018, or $4781 CAD per person with IBD., Key Summary Points: The total indirect economic burden of IBD in Canada is estimated to be $1.29 billion CAD in 2018, or roughly $4781 CAD per person with IBD. This estimate comprises lost wages related to sick days and disability, premature retirement and premature death, and out-of-pocket costs. Losses from presenteeism, reduced professional development and caregiver burden are not included due to insufficient data on the cost impact of these factors.In a meta-analysis of studies between 1994 and 2014, the annual indirect cost of absenteeism for IBD patients ranged from $515.67 USD (USA) to $14,727 USD (Germany) per patient per annum (pooled estimate $7189 USD), after adjusting for purchasing power disparity.A large US survey found that, on average, IBD patients incurred an extra 4.8 days off of work and $783 USD in excess lost wages annually compared with persons without IBD.A study based on US private insurance claims found that ulcerative colitis patients cost an additional $2164 per person per annum relating to disability days and medically related absenteeism.A prospective study from an IBD centre reported weekly indirect health-related costs of $1133 for IBD patients with active disease, $370.13 for IBD patients in remission, and $191.23 for persons without IBD relating to both presenteeism and absenteeism.In a survey of 744 IBD patients from Manitoba, reduced workplace productivity during the previous 14 days was reported in 37% of individuals, including a reduction of one to two days by 18% of patients, thre to nine days by 16% of patients, and on most days by 3% of patients.The estimated average lifetime lost wages due to premature retirement is $1,044,498 CAD per person with Crohn's disease and $994,760 CAD per person with ulcerative colitis. Aggregated over all IBD retirees, this equates to roughly $629 million CAD in permanent lost wages annually due to premature retirement.The lifetime indirect cost associated with premature death among IBD patients is estimated to be $746,070 CAD per decedent, or roughly $33.6 million aggregated across all IBD decedents of working age.In a US study of caregivers of children, the average unadjusted annual work loss was 214 hours for caregivers of Crohn's disease patients and 170 hours for caregivers of children without IBD, translating to an additional $1122 in lost productivity for caregivers of persons with Crohn's disease.Canadian studies have reported complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) use in 56% to 74% of people with IBD. A US national survey study estimated annual per-person out of pocket costs of $1603 USD for Crohn's disease patients and $1263 USD for ulcerative colitis patients, which were substantially higher than in persons without IBD., Gaps in Knowledge and Future Directions: Canadian-specific data on indirect health-related costs of IBD is sparse across all domains of indirect costs.In particular, the rates of absenteeism, presenteeism and premature retirement among IBD patients living in Canada require further study to gauge more accurately the indirect health-related costs of IBD in Canada.Indirect costs relating to decreased professional development, caregiver burden and out-of-pocket purchases among IBD patients are largely unknown and require further study.Indirect costs incurred by Canadian children with IBD and their families or caregivers are largely unknown.

Canada has among the highest rates of childhood-onset IBD in the world. Over 7000 children and youth under 18 years old are living with IBD in Canada, and 600 to 650 children under 16 years old are diagnosed annually. While the peak age of onset of IBD is highest in the second and third decades of life, over the past two decades incidence has risen most rapidly in children under 5 years old. The treatment of children with IBD presents important challenges including therapeutic choices, risk of adverse events to medications, psychosocial impact on the child and family, increased cost of health care and the implications of the transition from pediatric to adult care. Despite the unique circumstances faced by children and their families, there is a lack of research to help understand the causes of the rising incidence and the best therapies for children with IBD. Scientific evidence-and specifically clinical trials of pharmaceuticals-are too often extrapolated from adult research. Health care providers must strive to understand the unique impact of childhood-onset IBD on patients and families, while researchers must expand work to address the important needs of this growing patient population., Highlights: In 2018, there are over 7000 children and youth under 18 years old living with IBD in Canada, and 600 to 650 young children (under 16 years) diagnosed every year.The number of children in Canada living with IBD is growing rapidly, increasing 50% in the first decade of the 21st century.Inflammatory bowel disease is still rare in children younger than 5 years of age, but it is occurring in such young children more often than in the past.Children with IBD are different from adults. For example, delayed growth, extent of disease and difficulties encountered during adolescence are all unique to the pediatric experience.We must consider the psychosocial well-being of both children and their families, given that caring for a child with IBD can affect the global functioning of families.Treatment approaches in children sometimes differ from those in adults. However, to date, all effective therapies in adults have also been effective in children. There is great need for clinical trials of new therapies in children so that they have equal access to emerging treatments and optimal pediatric dosing can be established., Key Summary Points: Rates of new diagnoses in children under 16 years old were increasing most rapidly in Ontario (increased 5.8% per year) and Quebec (increased 2.8% per year).Nova Scotia has the highest rate of pediatric IBD, with lower rates in Quebec and Ontario. However, even Ontario and Quebec have higher rates of pediatric IBD than most countries in the world.Inflammatory bowel disease is caused by the interaction between genes, environmental risk factors, the microbiome and the immune system. Since children experience shorter exposures and possibly fewer environmental risk factors, the interaction between these risk factors and genes may be stronger with childhood-onset IBD.The microbiome is mostly established in early childhood and is affected by a number of factors such as environment, diet, pregnancy/delivery factors and antibiotic use. Changing the microbiome to a healthier state may prevent the disease and may also be a novel therapeutic target to treat active inflammation in children with IBD.Children with IBD are different from adults. They are more likely to have extensive involvement of their intestines, especially in ulcerative colitis, and are at risk for growth impairment, osteoporosis, and psychosocial difficulties affecting their families.Children with IBD may incur more direct health costs for treatment of their IBD compared with adults. However, this is not universally true for all children because those who are very young at diagnosis (2 to 6 years old) may have milder disease or respond better to medications. This may result in decreased use of the health system, fewer hospitalizations and less risk of surgery than older children and adolescents.The choice of treatments for children with IBD may be different from that of adults. It is important to consider pediatric-specific disease considerations. Delayed growth, deficient bone development, psychosocial well-being of the child and family, disease extent, disease severity and risk of poor outcomes during transition from pediatric to adult health care are all important considerations when choosing the best treatment for children and adolescents.While the medications used are similar in children and adults with IBD, research to assess the effectiveness and safety of these medications in children (especially very young children) is sparse.Children with IBD may be more responsive to treatment than adults because they are more likely to have inflammatory (rather than stricturing) disease. Therefore, treating the inflammation earlier in the course of disease may prevent long-term complications such as strictures, obstruction, need for surgery and need for hospitalization.Some medications used in IBD have unique or more pronounced risks in children compared with adults. For example, chronic prednisone use is associated with growth impairment and stunting in children. Anti-TNF biologics are the only medications proven to improve growth in children with Crohn's disease and should be considered early in the course of disease in patients with severe IBD or those with marked growth impairment at the time of diagnosis.Some medications are used differently, depending on the sex of the patient. For example, azathioprine (with or without biologics) is associated with hepatosplenic T cell lymphoma (and other forms of lymphoma) in adolescent and young adult males more often than females. Methotrexate is associated with birth defects in the growing fetus and therefore should be avoided in adolescent and adult women of child-bearing age who are not using two or more forms of birth control.A small group of children, typically presenting in the first two years of life, have single-gene mutations that cause an IBD-like bowel disease and also immune system dysfunction. These patients may not respond to traditional IBD medications and may require therapies such as bone marrow transplant. Canada is leading research efforts to investigate, diagnose and treat this small group of very vulnerable children.Inflammatory bowel disease (especially when it is active) can affect school attendance, social interactions, concentration and learning. Schools should be aware of the implications of IBD and make allowances for these factors in children with active inflammation and symptoms to optimize their chances of academic and social success., Gaps in Knowledge and Future Research Directions: We have limited knowledge on what causes IBD in children and why rates are rising most rapidly in young children. We must better understand the interaction between genes, the environment, the immune system and the microbiome in order to better prevent and treat the disease.Treatment for infants with IBD-like illnesses and single-gene mutations is limited. Future research should work towards identifying these children and learning how best to treat them.There are few clinical trials for biologics in children, and most exclude very young children. Support for such trials is important to understand whether the treatments work, how they should optimally be given and whether they are safe for young children with IBD.Considering the effectiveness of dietary therapies for children with Crohn's disease (exclusive enteral nutrition), we should work to understand how diet affects intestinal inflammation and the microbiome in order to better use dietary therapies to treat IBD.Health services researchers, health care providers and policy-makers should work together to understand why variation in the access to treatment and medical care of children with IBD exists. We must work together to improve the quality of care provided to these children and ensure they have the highest quality of care.Psychosocial implications of IBD in children and their families are of importance to long-term and overall well-being. Children with a chronic, incurable disease are at risk for mental illness associated with their disease. We should design interventions to improve the psychosocial status, mental health and quality of life of children with IBD and their families.While nonlive immunizations are safe for children with IBD, we must understand how to improve their effectiveness in children who are immunosuppressed. While the peak onset of IBD occurs in the second or third decades of life, the frequency of new diagnoses in younger children is rising rapidly. In Canada, the fastest growing group of newly diagnosed people with IBD are children aged under 5 years (termed 'very early onset [VEO] IBD). These young children have not been included in clinical trials of new medications, resulting in a lack of scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness of treatments in this group, and clinical experience has shown that they do not respond to usual medications used for the majority of children with IBD. Providing children with IBD with high-quality care and social support also poses other challenges to care providers, families and the health system. This section will focus on the unique challenges facing Canadian children with IBD. A complete overview of the objectives, working committees and methodology of creating the report can be found in the supplemental file, Technical Document.

Background: Budesonide is an oral glucocorticoid designed for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may reduce systemic adverse events (AEs). This review examined the efficacy and safety of budesonide for the induction and maintenance of clinical remission in Crohn's disease (CD)., Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, other electronic databases, reference lists and conference proceedings were searched to November 2017 to identify randomized controlled trials of budesonide. Outcomes were the induction and maintenance of remission at eight weeks and one year, respectively, as well as corticosteroid-related AEs and abnormal adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) tests. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using random effects models., Results: Thirteen induction and 10 maintenance trials were included. Budesonide 9 mg/day was more effective than placebo (RR 1.93; 95% CI, 1.37-2.73; GRADE: moderate) but less effective than conventional steroids (RR 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.97; GRADE: moderate) to induce remission. Corticosteroid-related AEs occurred less often with induction doses of budesonide than steroids (RR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.54-0.76; GRADE: moderate); budesonide did not increase AEs relative to placebo (RR 0.97; 95% CI, 0.76-1.23; GRADE: moderate). Budesonide 6 mg/day was not different from placebo for maintaining remission (RR 1.13; 95% CI, 0.94-1.35; GRADE: moderate). Both induction (GRADE: low for 3 mg/day, moderate for 9 mg/day) and maintenance budesonide treatment (GRADE: very low for 3 mg/day, low for 6 mg/day) increased the risk of an abnormal ACTH test compared with placebo, but less than conventional steroids (GRADE: very low for both induction and maintenance)., Conclusion: For induction of clinical remission, budesonide was more effective than placebo, but less effective than conventional steroids. Budesonide was not effective for the maintenance of remission. Budesonide was safer than conventional steroids, but the long-term effects on the adrenal axis and bone health remain unknown.

Background: Understanding of the prevalence, pathophysiology, and management of fecal incontinence (FI) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients without an ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) is suboptimal. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence, pathophysiology, and management of primary FI in IBD patients without IPAA., Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (1966 through March 2017) for studies on the prevalence, physiology, or management of FI in IBD patients without IPAA. A random effects model was used to calculate pooled prevalence rates and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed with I2 statistics, Cochran Q statistic, and sensitivity analyses., Results: Seventeen studies were included. Six studies evaluated the prevalence of FI in 4671 IBD patients. There was significant heterogeneity among the studies, but the pooled prevalence of FI among case-control studies was homogeneous at 24% (95% CI 18%-30%, I2 = 50.6%, P = 0.16). FI was more common among IBD patients than non-IBD controls (OR = 7.73; 95% CI 6.26 to 9.84). Therapeutic options were poorly evaluated in uncontrolled studies. Surgery was effective in 70% of patients (7/10), sacral nerve stimulation was effective in 100% of patients (5/5), and 41.6% of patients (5/12) reported subjective improvement in FI with percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation., Conclusions: FI is prevalent in IBD patients without IPAA, and more common than non-IBD controls. Additional controlled studies are warranted to further identify effective therapeutic interventions for FI in IBD. 10.1093/ibd/izx109&#95;video1izx109&#95;Video&#95;15760611117001.

Background: Induction treatment of mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease is controversial., Purpose: To compare the induction of remission between different doses of mesalamine, sulfasalazine, corticosteroids, and budesonide for active Crohn's disease., Data Sources: We identified randomized controlled trials from existing Cochrane reviews and an updated literature search in Medline, EMBASE, and CENTRAL to November 2015., Study Selection: We included randomized controlled trials (n = 22) in adult patients with Crohn's disease that compared budesonide, sulfasalazine, mesalamine, or corticosteroids with placebo or each other, for the induction of remission (8-17 wks). Mesalamine (above and below 2.4 g/d) and budesonide (above and below 6 mg/d) were stratified into low and high doses., Data Extraction: Our primary outcome was remission, defined as a Crohn's Disease Activity Index score <150. A Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis was performed on the proportion in remission., Data Synthesis: Corticosteroids (odds ratio [OR] = 3.64; 95% credible interval [CrI]: 2.16-6.19), high-dose budesonide (OR = 2.99; 95% CrI: 1.83-4.90), and high-dose mesalamine (OR = 1.87; 95% CrI: 1.14-3.15) were superior to placebo. Corticosteroids were similar to high-dose budesonide (OR = 1.21; 95% CrI: 0.79-1.89), but more effective than high-dose mesalamine (OR = 1.95; 95% CrI: 1.14-3.25). Sulfasalazine was not significantly superior to any therapy including placebo., Limitations: Randomized controlled trials that use a strict definition of induction of remission and disease severity at enrollment to assess effectiveness in treating mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease are limited., Conclusions: Corticosteroids and high-dose budesonide were effective treatments for inducing remission in mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease. High-dose mesalamine maybe an option among patients preferring to avoid steroids.

Background: Induction treatment of mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease is controversial., Purpose: To compare the induction of remission between different doses of mesalamine, sulfasalazine, corticosteroids, and budesonide for active Crohn's disease., Data Sources: We identified randomized controlled trials from existing Cochrane reviews and an updated literature search in Medline, EMBASE, and CENTRAL to November 2015., Study Selection: We included randomized controlled trials (n = 22) in adult patients with Crohn's disease that compared budesonide, sulfasalazine, mesalamine, or corticosteroids with placebo or each other, for the induction of remission (8-17 wks). Mesalamine (above and below 2.4 g/d) and budesonide (above and below 6 mg/d) were stratified into low and high doses., Data Extraction: Our primary outcome was remission, defined as a Crohn's Disease Activity Index score <150. A Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis was performed on the proportion in remission., Data Synthesis: Corticosteroids (odds ratio [OR] = 3.80; 95% credible interval [CrI]: 2.48-5.66), high-dose budesonide (OR = 2.96; 95% CrI: 2.06-4.30), and high-dose mesalamine (OR = 2.29; 95% CrI: 1.58-3.33) were superior to placebo. Corticosteroids were similar to high-dose budesonide (OR = 1.21; 95% CrI: 0.84-1.76), but more effective than high-dose mesalamine (OR = 1.83; 95% CrI: 1.16-2.88). Sulfasalazine was not significantly superior to any therapy including placebo., Limitations: Randomized controlled trials that use a strict definition of induction of remission and disease severity at enrollment to assess effectiveness in treating mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease are limited., Conclusions: Corticosteroids and high-dose budesonide were effective treatments for inducing remission in mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease. High-dose mesalamine is an option among patients preferring to avoid steroids.