Impacts of gastrointestinal disease in canada

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Impacts of gastrointestinal disease in canada

Health Care System

Gastrointestinal disease is the third most common cause of death, and cancer of the gastrointestinal tract is the leading cause of cancer death. Including day case investigations, gastrointestinal disorders account for as many hospital admissions as respiratory illnesses, and both are second only to circulatory disorders.

Employment

Work is a significant daily activity that affects in multiple ways life and health of working populations. It has been previously documented that specific exposures in the occupational setting, such as rotating schedules, occupational stress, change of dietary habits, sedentary job conditions, extreme temperature conditions, exposure to dust and noise may be related, among others, to the occurrence of gastrointestinal diseases; however, literature investigating the relationship between occupational exposure and the occurrence of gastrointestinal diseases is scarce.

Individual

One-third of adults are restricting their diet, and this is associated with lower HRQoL. Being on a restrictive diet was not associated with a better HRQoL among individuals with a gastrointestinal condition. Mental health problems were associated with a stronger adverse relationship between gastrointestinal diseases and physical HRQoL. Health professionals should be alert to these associations when trying to improve health outcomes for patients.

Main topic

Economy

Digestive disorders result in over 18 million sick days, account for 10 per cent of all hospitalizations and cost the Canadian economy $18 billion annually through direct health care costs and lost productivity. However, due to the perceived embarrassment associated with digestive symptoms, there is a lack of understanding of the enormous impact digestive disorders have on Canadians and a profound unwillingness to shed more light on the subject.

Media

Although use of the Internet to obtain health information varies with disease type, recent studies on patients attending gastroenterology clinics report usage rates of between 42% and 92.6%. This trend is likely to continue, with more than 60% of individuals reporting probable future use in one study of patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Family

It is unknown whether the issues affecting family members of patients are unique to those with specific diseases or whether family members are impacted in similar ways regardless of the patient’s condition. The quality of life of family members of patients is important to understand so that appropriate strategies can be developed to meet their needs. These family members are often critical to successful patient care, and it is therefore important that they are provided with relevant support services.