The impact of nurse-led care in inflammatory bowel disease management: a systematic review

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic disease that requires long-term, coordinated management. Although nurse-led care is a pivotal element of effective IBD management through specific interventions, a comprehensive synthesis of its overall impact is lacking in the literature. To review systematically and synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of nurse-led care compared to usual care for individuals with IBD. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Embase was conducted for Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies (cohort or case-control studies) published from database inception to April 30, 2025. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the critical appraisal tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), and this review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Sixteen studies with a total of 2,468 participants were included. Nurse-led care significantly improved QoL (9 of 16 studies), self-management (5 of 6 studies), and reduced anxiety/depression/disease uncertainty (8 of 10 studies). It also improved sleep quality (4 of 4 studies), and patient satisfaction (2 of 2 studies). However, none of the 8 studies reported significant differences in disease activity between the groups, and no significant differences were found for smoking cessation motivation, coping capacity, medication adherence, or patient concerns. Structured, high-intensity interventions demonstrate benefits, whereas brief approaches show limited effectiveness. Outcome variability suggests clinical and methodological heterogeneity, underscoring the need for more rigorously designed studies. Nurse-led care has the potential to improve psychosocial well-being, QoL, and self-management capabilities in patients with IBD, though the realization of these benefits requires healthcare systems to implement structured, high-intensity programs that move beyond simple advisory roles. Future research should therefore prioritize investigating the long-term sustainability of benefits, cost-effectiveness, and hybrid care models that integrate nursing support with medical management to determine their potential impact on disease activity. Not applicable.