P0992Assessment of the impact of telemonitoring on the psychological well-being of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Background Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are chronic conditions with high rates of comorbid anxiety, depression and visceral hypersensitivity (VH). For patients with IBD, psychological distress often originates from disease-related fears and inconsistent healthcare access. Telemonitoring (TM) offers a promising approach to this issue, demonstrating proven efficacy in the management of chronic diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of TM on the psychological well-being of IBD patients, directly comparing it to standard outpatient care. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled prospective study. Eligible patients with confirmed IBD were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either a standard care group or an intervention group utilizing web-platform. This web-platform included three components: a repository of validated educational materials on IBD, an interactive module for daily symptom tracking, and a direct asynchronous chat for communication with a gastroenterologist. Outcomes were assessed at the baseline and after 6 months of monitoring via validated scales for visceral sensitivity (VSI), anxiety and depression (HADS). Results The final analysis included 68 patients: 32 in the TM group (18 female; 18 with Ulcerative Colitis (UC); mean age 31.6 ± 10.05 years) and 36 in the in-person group (12 female; 17 with UC; median age 35.5 [26; 41.25] years). At baseline, 57.4% of the participants were in clinical remission. Despite this, there was a high prevalence of psychological distress: 47% of patients demonstrated signs of anxiety and depression, 92.4% had VH. At baseline, there was no difference between studied groups (p > 0.05). After 6 months follow-up period, the TM group showed lower HADS and VSI scores compared to the standard care group (anxiety: 5.5 vs. 8, p = 0.025; depression: 4 vs. 6, p = 0.04; visceral sensitivity: 21.5 vs. 30, p = 0.013, respectively). Groups did not differ in disease activity scores in the end of follow-up period. Conclusion TM significantly improves psychological well-being in patients with IBD, specifically by reducing anxiety, depressive symptoms, and VH. TM can be effectively used for managing patients with IBD, especially exhibiting signs of psychological comorbidity. At its current stage of development, telemonitoring should not be considered a replacement for in-person care. However, integrating it as a supplemental component into existing standard of care protocols can address the psychological issues of patients with IBD. Conflict of interest: Dr. Akhmedzyanova, Dina: No conflict of interest Shumskaya, Yuliya: No conflict of interest Mnatsakanyan, Marina: No conflict of interest Vladzymyrskyy, Anton: No conflict of interest Reshetnikov, Roman: No conflict of interest