OBJECTIVES: Access to adequate treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is critical to preventing depression and anxiety in patients with IBS. Living with IBS can lead to depression and anxiety which, in turn, can worsen IBS. This research aims to identify opportunities to address equitable access to adequate treatment for IBS.

METHODS: Over 4.7 million deidentified, IBS patient medical claims records were analyzed to assess the likelihood of depression adjusting for the most common comorbidities as defined by Elixhauser Group definitions. Patient cohorts were defined as any patient who was diagnosed with an ICD-10 diagnosis of K58.x (n=4,717,346). The outcome variable was depression defined as Elixhauser comorbidity groups. Network and geospatial analyses were done using SAS® Health.

RESULTS: Our study showed that the most commonly associated comorbidities were uncomplicated hypertension, complicated hypertension, uncomplicated diabetes, complicated diabetes, obesity, and chronic pulmonary disease. Spatial analyses illustrated that higher concentrations of patients with IBS were diagnosed with depression in geographies that had fewer gastroenterologists. In contrast, the proportion of patients with IBS who were diagnosed with depression was smaller in geographies with a greater number of gastroenterologists.

CONCLUSIONS: It seems that equitable access to gastroenterologists may contribute to the mental health status of patients with IBS. In addition, patients with IBS should be adequately screened for comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and chronic pulmonary disease that can further impact their quality of life and physical health. Ensuring equitable access to adequate care for patients with IBS is crucial to improving quality of life and preventing depression in this patient population.