Conjoint analysis reveals that biologic therapy decision-making varies between patients with UC and CD. It also illustrates that no two IBD patients are alike and that the decision-making process is highly individualized. These results strongly suggest that providers cannot presume which medicine a patient will “prefer” by simply considering the patient’s clinical, demographic, and IBD characteristics.

Because of the highly-individualized nature of biologic decision-making in IBD, along with healthcare’s increased emphasis on shared decision-making, it is critical for clinicians to identify what matters most to patients when choosing among therapeutic options. By doing so, it will enable patients to choose therapies that better align with their values. Yet it can be challenging to accurately establish a patient’s unique preferences profile during the course of a brief clinical visit. Doctors and other healthcare providers are busier than ever before, as we continue to face increasing administrative and clinical tasks. Many of us simply do not have enough time and resources to engage in detailed discussions around biologic risks, benefits, and tradeoffs.

To address this gap, the conjoint analysis developed and tested in this study was used to create an online patient website called “IBD&me.” Continue on to Module 3 to learn more about IBD&me. There you will even have the opportunity to put yourself in the shoes of a patient with IBD and go through the website yourself.