Consensus recommendations for patient-centered therapy in mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis: the i Support Therapy–Access to Rapid Treatment (iSTART) approach

• Main Authors: Silvio Danese, Rupa Banerjee, JR Fraser Cummings, Iris Dotan, Paulo G Kotze, Rupert Wing Loong Leong, Kristine Paridaens, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Glyn Scott, Gert Van Assche, Jan Wehkamp, Jesús K Yamamoto-Furusho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases 2018-10-01
• Series: Intestinal Research
• Subjects: Colitis, ulcerative; Consensus guidelines; Mesalazine; Corticosteroids; Patient reported outcome measures
• Online Access: http://www.irjournal.org/upload/pdf/ir-2018-00073.pdf
• ISSN: 1598-9100; 2288-1956

Symptomatic ulcerative colitis (UC) can be a chronic, disabling condition. Flares in disease activity are associated with many of the negative impacts of mild-to-moderate UC. Rapid resolution of flares can provide benefits to patients and healthcare systems. i Support Therapy–Access to Rapid Treatment (iSTART) introduces patient-centered care for mild-to-moderate UC. iSTART provides patients with the ability to self-assess symptomology and self-start a short course of second-line treatment when necessary. An international panel of experts produced consensus statements and recommendations. These were informed by evidence from systematic reviews on the epidemiology, mesalazine (5-ASA) treatment, and patient use criteria for second-line therapy in UC. Optimized 5-ASA is the first-line treatment in all clinical guidelines, but may not be sufficient to induce remission in all patients. Corticosteroids should be prescribed as second-line therapy when needed, with budesonide MMX® being a preferred steroid option. Active involvement of suitable patients in management of UC flares has the potential to improve therapy, with patients able to show good accuracy for flare self-assessment using validated tools. There is a place in the UC treatment pathway for an approach such as iSTART, which has the potential to provide patient, clinical and economic benefits.