UPMC On Topic Transcript
VIP Center: Support for IBD Patients
Eva M. Szigethy, MD, PhD
Director, Visceral Inflammation and Pain (VIP) Center
Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition that affects the immune system. It consists of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. And the symptoms that are most bothersome to patients are diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fatigue.
IBD and the Brain
What we know about IBD is that it impacts the brain and it does that several different ways. The inflammatory process that causes the symptoms, like diarrhea, can affect the brain and cause things like depression, anxiety.
We also know that life stress can cause worsening of IBD symptoms.
The VIP Program
The VIP Center which stands for visceral inflammation and pain is a program that is integrated as part of the gastrointestinal division at UPMC. It was developed because IBD is such a stressful illness, but as importantly, really to help patients cope not just with the medical aspects of the illness, but also the manifestations such as depression, anxiety, and ongoing pain that sometimes persist even after the disease is inactive.
Any patient who receives their IBD care at UPMC is eligible for the VIP Center. Most of the referrals come from the GI docs who recognize the stress, the pain, depression, anxiety that their patients can face.
When they come to the center we have a comprehensive evaluation of not just their psychological functioning, but pain, sleep, and how IBD impacts all areas of their life. And then based on that we develop individualized treatment plans.
Treatments at the VIP Center
Many of our patients respond to the cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, stress management techniques, and relaxation devices that we teach them.
However, there are patients who either come to us already on medications that affect the brain, or who might need a little help with medication in addition to these coping skills that we teach them. And for those patients we also have a full pharmacological assessment and treatment management program.
The UPMC Difference
What makes the VIP Center special is that we have three areas of interest.
In addition to the clinical care, we also have clinical research and educational opportunities to train practitioners to become proficient in the techniques that we use in the clinic.
And all of this together provides an opportunity for our patients to benefit from personalized medicine that really targets the kinds of problems that they are having, so that they can more effectively cope with this lifelong illness.