What issue does this study address, and how could the results help patients?
In 2023, 16% of people in the UK were of an ethnic minority. Ethnic minorities are not well studied in medical research, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is no exception.
Studies have shown that ethnic minorities have worse outcomes following surgery. However, most of these studies are from North America which has a different population and healthcare system. This research project will examine NHS health records to see if different ethnic groups have different types of surgery to treat their IBD. It will also see if their outcomes after surgery are worse.
Understanding access to health care and variance in outcomes following surgery between ethnic groups with IBD is vital to creating a better service and improving outcomes for all IBD patients.
The research team
This study is led by Dr Jennifer Couch at the University of Nottingham.