INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR GASTROINTES

EDUCATION: THE FOUNDATION PUBLISHES AN ENEWSLETTER, "DIGESTIVE HEALTH MONTHLY" THAT COVERS DIFFERENT AREAS OF GASTROINTESTINAL HEALTH IN ADULTS AND CHILDREN WITH UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON RECOGNIZING, DIAGNOSING, TREATING, AND LIVING WITH CHRONIC GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESS. THE INFORMATION IS RELIABLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE BY LAY READERS, WHILE BEING AUTHORITATIVE FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. WE OFFER A LIBRARY OF OUR PUBLICATIONS AND FACT SHEETS THAT CONTAINS OVER 300 ARTICLES WITH INFORMATION ON A RANGE OF TOPICS TO HELP INDIVIDUALS OR THE FAMILIES OF THOSE AFFECTED BY GI DISORDERS. IFFGD CURRENTLY MAINTAINS ELEVEN SEPARATE WEB SITES: WWW.IFFGD.ORG; WWW.ABOUTCONSTIPATION.ORG; WWW.ABOUTGIMOTILITY.ORG; WWW.ABOUTIBS.ORG; WWW.ABOUTGASTROPARESIS.ORG; WWW.ABOUTGERD.ORG; WWW.ABOUTINCONTINENCE.ORG; WWW.ABOUTKIDSGI.ORG; WWW.YOUANDCONSTIPATION.ORG; WWW.YOUANDIBS.ORG; AND WWW.LOSNINOSYGI.ORG WHICH PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH INFORMATION FREE OF CHARGE. THESE WEB SITES CONTAIN OVER 300 FREE ARTICLES WITH INFORMATION ON A RANGE OF TOPICS TO HELP INDIVIDUALS OR THE FAMILIES OF THOSE AFFECTED BY GI DISORDERS. MOST OF THE ARTICLES ARE WRITTEN BY LEADING INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF GI HEALTH AND RESEARCH. TO ENCOURAGE WIDE DISSEMINATION, ARTICLES ARE DISTRIBUTED EITHER FREE OF CHARGE. TOGETHER, THESE WEB SITES CURRENTLY AVERAGE AROUND 700,000 PAGE VIEWS PER MONTH. IFFGD MAINTAINS AN ONLINE FORUM TO GIVE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY ALL CHRONIC DIGESTIVE DISORDERS A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE PLACE TO DISCUSS ISSUES SURROUNDING THESE SENSITIVE TOPICS. BY OPENLY SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES OF LIVING WITH A CHRONIC DIGESTIVE DISORDER, PATIENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS CAN LEARN FROM OTHERS IN THE DIGESTIVE HEALTH COMMUNITY AND, IN TURN, ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THOSE WHO MAY BE SUFFERING.IN 2020, IFFGD LAUNCHED A NEW PROJECT, THE NANCY AND BILL NORTON PATIENT EDUCATION SERIES. THIS MULTIFACETED PROGRAM INCLUDES TOPICS RELATING TO MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF NUMEROUS GASTROINTESTINAL CONDITIONS; INCLUDING INFORMATION FROM MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AS WELL AS TOPICS ON THE DAILY EXPERIENCES AND SELF-MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE UTILIZED TO IMPROVE THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVING. PROVIDED AS BOTH AN IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, THE NANCY AND BILL NORTON PATIENT EDUCATION SERIES PROVIDES PATIENTS WITH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT EQUIP THEM WITH EDUCATION AND RESOURCES TO BETTER HELP THEM NAVIGATE LIFE. IN 2023, THIS PROGRAM WAS HELD LIVE IN LIVE IN LOS ANGELOS, CA AND THEN VIRTUALLY AS A YOUTUBE PREMIERE ON THE GUT MICROBIOME.IN DECEMBER 2022, IFFGD LAUNCHED AN UPDATE TO THE ANIMATED PATIENT'S GUIDE TO CONSTIPATION. THIS EDUCATIONAL WEBPAGE, WWW.YOUANDCONSTIPATION.ORG, COVERS THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONSTIPATION FACED BY PATIENTS AND HELPS THEM TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO TALK TO THEIR PHYSICIAN ABOUT THEIR SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS. OF THE MORE THAN 240,000 VISITORS TO THE SITE, 86% ARE PATIENTS, 5% ARE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, 3% ARE CAREGIVERS AND 6% CHOSE "OTHER." SURVEY RESULTS ALSO INDICATE THAT A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS WILL TAKE NEW QUESTIONS TO THEIR DOCTORS, CHANGE HABITS IN THEIR TREATMENTS, AND LEARNED NEW OPTIONS FOR TESTING AND DIAGNOSIS. THE FOUNDATION HAS A PATIENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND PATIENT PANEL, WHICH CONTINUE TO WORK WITH FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP TO GIVE FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE IN ALL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. MEMBERS OF BOTH THE PATIENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND PATIENT PANEL REPRESENT A DIVERSE RANGE OF AGES, GEOGRAPHIES, DIAGNOSES, AND ILLNESS EXPERIENCES. THE PATIENT PANEL IS CURRENTLY COMPRISED OF OVER 3,000 PATIENTS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND CAREGIVERS INTERESTED IN HELPING TO GUIDE THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES OF IFFGD.IN 2020, IFFGD BEGAN SCREENING MEMBERS OF THE PATIENT PANEL FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH THE INDUSTRY COUNCIL, OTHER NONPROFITS AND COMPAIES ON FEEBACK AND INPUT ABOUT THEIR ILLNESS EXPERIENCE AS A PATIENT WITH A CHRONIC GI CONDITION. THUS FAR THE FOUNDATION HAS BEEN ABLE TO RECRUITE 70 PATIENTS AND HAVE CONNECTED DOZENS OF THEM WITH COMPANIES INTERESTED IN INCORPORATING THE PATIENT VOICE IN THEIR ACTIVITIES.IN MAY 2023, IFFGD LAUNCHED AN ANIMATED PATIENT'S GUIDE TO IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS). THIS EDUCATIONAL WEBPAGE, WWW.YOUANDIBS.ORG, COVERS THE DIFFERENT TPES OF IBS FACED BY PATIENTS AND HELPS THEM TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO TALK TO THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER ABOUT THEIR SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS. PATIENT STORY VIDEOS WERE ADDED TO THE PROGRAM IN 2024.RESEARCH AND AWARENESS: AS "AWARENESS" DAYS AND WEEKS ARE OBSERVED ON THE U.S. NATIONAL HEALTH OBSERVANCES CALENDAR, THE FOUNDATION RECOGNIZES AND MAKES SPECIAL EFFORTS THROUGH ITS PUBLICATIONS, WEB SITES, AND THROUGH THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH PRINT, SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS, AND THE INTERNET TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE IMPORTANT HEALTH ISSUES BEING RAISED. SOME OF THESE INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: IBS AWARENESS MONTH (APRIL), GERD AWARENESS WEEK (NOVEMBER), GASTROPARESIS AWARENESS MONTH (AUGUST). THE FOUNDATION CONTINUALLY PROVIDES HEALTH MESSAGES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT GI DISORDERS AND INCONTINENCE IN A RANGE OF DIVERSE MEDIA OUTLETS ONLINE OR IN PRINT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: WEBMD, REALAGE, LIVESTRONG, HEALTH DAY NEWS, EXCEPTIONAL PARENT MAGAZINE, MODERN MEDICINE, MEDICAL NEWS TODAY, ENDONURSE, GASTROENTEROLOGY & ENDOSCOPY NEWS, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, REDBOOK, PARADE, SELF, PREVENTION MAGAZINE, US NEWS & WORLD REPORT, COSMOPOLITAN, THE WASHINGTON POST, LA TIMES, NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND THE DAILY YOMIURI (TOKYO), CBS THIS MORNING/EARLY MORNING SHOW, THE TODAY SHOW, FOX NEWS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS, AND NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO'S "LIVING WITHOUT LIMITS".