A Novel Perspective: Utilizing Mixed Methods Approach to Identifying Critical Intervention Periods and Factors that Impact Quality of Life for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Authors

Caterina LaRocca, Virginia Commonwealth University

Original Publication Date

2025

Document Type

Presentation

Comments

Third place winner of the 11th Annual VCU 3MT® Competition, held on October 3, 2025.

Abstract

Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects not only physical health but also emotional and social well-being, often leading to a reduced quality of life. Despite medical advances, over half of patients eventually lose response to medication, and many—especially children—receive little support beyond prescriptions. Drawing from her own experience as a pediatric IBD patient, Caterina LaRocca’s research seeks to identify critical intervention periods and factors that improve quality of life for children with IBD. Using a mixed-methods approach, her first two qualitative studies will capture patient-informed perspectives through interviews with children and adults diagnosed in childhood, focusing on unmet needs in mental health, social support, and daily functioning. A subsequent quantitative study will assess modifiable factors that influence transition readiness from pediatric to adult care, such as self-efficacy and disease knowledge. Together, these studies aim to build an evidence base for more holistic, patient-centered interventions—ensuring that children with IBD are supported as whole individuals, not defined solely by their disease.

Transcription

Our last competitor is Caterina LaRocca, A Novel Perspective: Utilizing Mixed Methods Approach to Identifying Critical Intervention Periods and Factors that Impact Quality of Life for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease. They're in the College of Health Professions and their advisor is Dr. Stacey Reynolds. My journey to this dissertation really began when I was 11 years old. At this time, I missed several weeks of school due to a hospitalization where I was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. This is a disease that is marked by flare-ups, inflammation, ulceration, weight loss, higher rates of depression, higher rates of anxiety, all of which combine to result in a reduced quality of life. Following this diagnosis, I was discharged from the hospital with the information I needed to take this medication for the rest of my life, I need to avoid this food for the rest of my life, and I should probably come back for a follow-up in one year. What my care was missing was support. I was never referred to a dietician, a nutritionist, a psychologist, an OT, a PT. No one else was there to help me process this life-changing information. My life quickly became marked by my disease and the word no. No, I can't eat this. No, I can't come over. Oh, no, I can't go to school because of a doctor's appointment. And while medications have become more effective, over 50 percent of patients will eventually experience a non-response or a loss of response to this medication which is especially concerning because even with medication there's still a decreased quality of life and our fastest growing patient population is children and my story as a child is not an isolated case nor is it the worst case scenario it is actually the standard of care that is what motivates my dissertation i hope to explore a critical gap in the research and identify patient informed perspectives on ways to improve quality of life across our lifespan but also around transition time from pediatric to adult care which is a time marked by loss of follow-up more hospitalizations and higher rates of flare-up i plan to do this using three studies the first two will be qualitative and the third will be quantitative the qualitative studies will use a descriptive approach where i will interview both adults who are diagnosed as kids and kids currently managing the disease and use semi-structured interviews to try and identify those unmet needs around mental health, social support, school work, and I'll identify those unmet needs and patients will tell me what they want us to do about it. And then the quantitative approach will look at transition readiness and I'll use validated surveys to try and identify modifiable factors of transition such as social support, self-efficacy, or disease related knowledge together these approaches will combine to develop a foundation of evidence to say what we can potentially be doing about this this evidence-based approach will have patient informed perspectives and give us information on how we can treat more than just the disease my hope is that children will receive care that's going beyond prescriptions that way they can learn just like i did that their life is marked by more than just their disease. Thank you.

Rights

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