Covid-19 forced the most vulnerable in our society to go into self-isolation, such as the 600.000 people living in the UK with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) of which Crohn’s and Colitis are most common.
To help manage their disease more effectively during the crisis, the digital coach from Nori Health is made available for free from their website (use access code UKFREE) with the support of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology and its Chair, Dr Kevin Barrett.
Nori Health is an 8-week supportive program with a conversational (chatbot) coach for people living with Crohn’s or Colitis. This is done through daily chat conversations with Nori across 100+ evidence-based topics proven to impact quality of life.
The challenges with IBD and Covid-19
IBD concerns inflammation of the gut and symptoms include pain or cramps, weight loss, and extreme tiredness. The enforced lockdown causes additional stress and there is also the hidden cost of not managing the symptoms or flare-ups in a timely manner.
A recent study by the Dutch IBD Foundation regarding the current crisis showed that over 80% of patients have serious concerns about their health. On top of this there are many patients involved in medication trials to discover new treatment, and the majority of these trials have been paused – leaving patients exposed to uncertainty.
Sander van der Marel, gastroenterologist at Haaglanden Hospital in The Netherlands comments: “With weeks and potentially months of isolation ahead, digital tools like Nori Health can provide extended care encouraging a healthy lifestyle and offering mental support while also helping to relieve pressure on already overstretched healthcare workers.”
About Nori Health
Nori Health was founded in The Netherlands in December 2017 by Roeland Pater, a Crohn’s Disease sufferer himself in need for better solutions to self-manage the condition. The Nori Health program is the only CE-certified digital program for patients with Crohn’s or Colitis. The program was successfully tested in a virtual trial in partnership with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of the Netherlands in January 2019. Nori Health is currently provided to patients in both live treatment and medication trials in partnership with pharmaceutical companies.
About PCSG – Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology
The Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology is a not for profit members society founded in 1985 ( www.pcsg.org.uk ). As the voice of primary care gastroenterology, we engage with a wide range of organisations to promote our main purpose, “Improving Gut Health for Everyone”. The society is authoritative, collaborative and innovative, and has built relationships with charities, Royal Colleges, NICE and other key national organisations to deliver a range of activities that meet this purpose. Today the society has a large and growing membership, an active and informative website and a well respected journal, The Digest.
