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Interesting trivia re my GI - FYI

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 7/13/2010 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
I asked my GI how many patients she has. After thinking about it for some time she said about 50,000. I was really surprised. I then asked her how many CD patients. She said 110 and then said that was a large CD practice. I also thought with that many patients she would have more CD folks. I want her to take her time with me and answer all my questions but given she was the only person to diagnose after a very long time and with the # of patients, I guess I have to be some what patient. I guess we really are "special"..lol Perhaps everyone here knew these #s but as I was surprised I thought others might be also David
Posted 7/13/2010 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
I think the frequency of Crohns in the general population is about 2%? Seems like she should have more CD patients with that large a pool.

I live in a large city with a world-class medical center. If I had cancer or heart disease, I'd have the best care available. Unfortunately, I've not had a great experience with finding a GI that deals with IBD well. I'm on my 3rd doc in 10 years of looking. There's one more that I haven't seen yet that has a good reputation....after that, I guess I'd be travelling to Mayo or Cleveland Clinic.

I'm glad you like your DR and hope she treats you as special as you are!
Posted 7/13/2010 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
 

Excuse me for sounding thick lol but is a GI like a general type doctor/general practioner or is it a specialist hospital  consultant(in the uk we call things differently)

Do not know how many Crohn's patients sons  Dr/GP has, but his hospital consultant (plus 2 others) have over 2700 Crohn's patients

I feel like we have been really lucky with who we got, have never felt rushed, have actively been encouraged to do own research online and then patiently answers all my questions lol he sees my bit of paper come out and says "You've been online again-ask away"  wink  

Posted 7/13/2010 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
From my observations, and I may be wrong, but when I go in to see my GI (Gastroenteroligist-a specialist in the gastro-intestinal tract for Vixen ;) ) it seems the majority of his patients seem to be elderly who are having their yearly (?) scope. Most people may only see their GI once or twice a year if needed. They would still count as patients.
Posted 7/13/2010 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you :-)

In the UK the hospital consultants(specialists) are gastroenterologists too but just wanted to make sure I had understood correctly as you lot do have some very different alternative names for some things  wink (well to a Brit anyway )(no offence anyone)

Would agree about lots of elderly patients having scopes but do know that there are over 2700 Crohns patients on the local hospital register and for such a large county (not heavily populated) that is pretty scarey and that is just ONE hospital in the County! 

Posted 7/13/2010 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
50 thousand patients?? That barely seems possible :-/

I have no idea how many Crohn's patients my hospital has. But according to this patients site, the prevalence of Crohn's in the UK is 140 per 100,000. With a population of 60m, that makes 84,000 people in the UK who have Crohn's. That's equal to 0.14% of the entire population.

www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Crohn%27s-Disease.htm

Sounds about right, I suppose!
Posted 7/13/2010 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
 

Don't know how correct figures are but NACC estimate the figure to be around 240,000 in the UK (these drugs firms must be making a packet)

Posted 7/13/2010 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
The local gastros that I know are only in their office ONE day a week to see patients. The other 3-4 days they are doing procedures at the local hospitals and outpatient facilities. The majority of their "patients" are those who are just having their 5 yr, 10, yr, annual or whatever, periodic scopes or procedures. They schedule CD/UC patients twice a year for office "well visits" and rots o ruck getting a timely appointment if we get into trouble w/our IBD in between.

Figure 10 procedures a day x 4 days a week = 280 patients. Figure 280 patients a week x 48 weeks a year = 13,440 patients just for procedures.

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