The aim of this study was to explore the utilization of health services by Finnish adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to assess the associated demographic and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) factors.
556 Finnish IBD patients eligible for reimbursement for IBD medication according to the Social Insurance Institution in Finland answered our postal cross-sectional survey. The study questionnaire included questions about demographic characteristics of the patients, health care resource use, and HRQoL. The number of doctor visits was compared with those of irritable bowel syndrome patients.
During the previous year, more than three quarters of the respondents reported disturbing IBD symptoms. The majority (64%) had seen a doctor due to their IBD, women more often than men (p