PhD defence Anja Hubertina Winandus Maria Lemlijn-Slenter

Keywords: Positive Health, Work participation, Integrated approach including work participation chronic gastrointestinal disorders, Insurance medicine

"Positive Health And Work Participation Of Patients With A Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorder: En Route To An Integral Approach"

The Positive Health concept describes health in a broad and holistic way across six domains: physical well-being, mental well-being, meaningfulness, quality of life, participation (work, social) and daily functioning. In a large group of patients with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disorders undergoing treatment at Maastricht UMC+, these six dimensions of health were assessed using validated questionnaires. In patients with chronic GI disorders, malnutrition and mental health issues (symptoms of anxiety and depression) occur significantly more frequently. When comparing groups of patients with chronic MDL disorders, those with gastrointestinal motility disorders are more severely impaired than patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease or chronic liver disease. Within the group of MDL patients of working age, 49% were in paid employment. This is significantly lower than in the Dutch working-age population (70%).  Daily functioning is clearly linked to having a job or receiving disability benefits: the better people function, the more often they work and the less they need disability benefits. This pattern varies little between the different gastrointestinal disorders. 

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