Integrated models of care in managing inflammatory bowel disease: a discussion

The World Health Organization has recommended the integrated model of care as the current best practice of care, and, in recent years, it has been gaining popularity worldwide in various settings. However, there have been very few reports on applications of this model to the care of patients with gastrointestinal problems and no reports in the case of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, several IBD centres worldwide have been using the model as part of their standard care. This discussion paper aims to bring together these units' shared experiences with a range of integrated models of care in order to identify common features and provide recommendations on aspirational care for IBD patients. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2012)