AGA releases new tool to help GIs evaluate and treat Crohn's disease

The treatment of Crohn's disease is evolving. To help gastroenterologists better identify and manage their Crohn's disease patients, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has created a clinical decision tool to guide GIs in their decision-making process. The "Identification, Assessment, and Initial Medical Treatment in Crohn's Disease Clinical Decision Support Tool," published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA, synthesizes gastroenterologist's understanding of the disease with data from recent studies to create a pathway for GIs to follow in assessing and treating their patients.

"As health-care systems move towards providing better quality care, it is important for gastroenterologists to have clinical support tools that will help them treat underlying disease, as well as the whole person," according to William J. Sandborn, MD, AGAF, author of the AGA clinical decision tool, from the division of gastroenterology, University of San Diego, La Jolla, CA. "This clinical support tool represents a big step forward for the treatment of Crohn's disease and was created using a rigorous review process."

To create the tool, a workgroup reviewed current literature to develop a practical algorithm to help clinicians:

• Assess patients for active inflammation and the presence of complications and co-morbid conditions.
• Risk stratify their patients.
• Apply effective therapies based on AGA's latest guideline
• Ensure that patient's underlying inflammation is sufficiently treated.

Point-of-Care Clinical Decision Support Tools

The Identification, Assessment, and Initial Medical Treatment in Crohn's Disease Clinical Decision Support Tool is the most recent clinical decision tool published by the AGA. A number of other clinical decision support tools have been developed for hot topic issues in GI, such as biologics for Crohn's disease, colonoscopy surveillance and hepatitis C screening and evaluation.