Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, affects nearly 3.1 million Americans. The condition includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and can be quite costly for its patients.
“Not only are the symptoms associated with IBD significant, the clinical outcomes linked to the treatment of this disease are, as well,” said Jeffrey Berinstein, M.D., a gastroenterologist and clinical instructor at Michigan Medicine. “There is a lot of variation in how patients respond to specific forms of care, as well as high direct costs associated with the disease. IBD can be a very challenging condition to live with.”