The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has steadily risen over the past two decades. IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is difficult to diagnose because symptoms can be similar to those of other conditions and vary from person to person. In this episode, Dr. Neilanjan Nandi, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Penn Medicine, tells us how he advocates for patients and discusses the importance of reducing disparities, especially when it comes to IBD.

“It's all about the patient. It's not about the team; it's about the patient, and the team serves the patient. This is the standard of care. And if you don't elevate that patient’s voice, if you're not listening to that patient’s voice, then it doesn't matter if you have the greatest treatment. The treatment only matters if the patient tells you that everything that's impacting them by IBD gets better,” says Dr. Nandi.

Among the highlights in this episode:

1:21: Listener comment

2:17: President Biden has declared that “the pandemic is over”

3:32: Is the pandemic really over? Recounting the different phases we experienced since the start of the outbreak 

4:24: How COVID compares to other causes of death in the U.S.

6:18: Has COVID entered its endemic phase?

7:50: “I think that the more we continue to allow policy makers, people in certain positions to understand that the pandemic… is continuing for folks who are chronically ill, the more folks that know that the better,” says Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF

8:18: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is recommending primary care physicians screen for anxiety in adults who do not have recognized signs or symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicide

11:11: Prevalence of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis in South Asia and in descendants of South Asian immigrants across the globe is increasing

12:22: The impact of culture on acceptance and early treatment of IBD

13:30: How Dr. Nandi helps patients advocate for themselves in their everyday lives

14:57: The overwhelming amount of IBD resources and the importance of tailoring information towards one's culture, ethnic background, and health literacy level: advice on where to look for trusted information

17:30: The importance of patient reported outcomes

19:57: What our hosts learned from this episode

Contact Our Hosts

Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director, Community Outreach at GHLF: zrothblatt@ghlf.org

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