CHALLENGE:

Millions of people struggle on a daily basis with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) which inhibits the body’s ability to break down foods and absorb nutrients, causing a broad spectrum of painful GI symptoms. Few patients wish to discuss their symptoms openly and honestly with their care team, and while EPI can be successfully managed by a pill-based regimen of pancreatic enzymes the rate of treatment adherence consistently hovers around 50%. In this population there was a clear, defined need for a programmatic approach that would bring structure to these uncomfortable conversations, positively impact enzyme adherence and drive better overall outcomes.

 

SOLUTION:

In partnership with 15 clinicians on the front lines of healthcare, the leading pancreatic enzyme manufacturer and a nationally-focused advocacy organization, SPARK developed the iCAN program. Consisting of 3 core assessments including a GI Symptom Tracker, 18 educational videos and dozens of other credible resources, the iCAN toolset is quickly becoming a standardized approach used by care teams to accurately identify the set and severity of GI symptoms in these patient populations.

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RESULTS:

iCAN offers a clinic-based, digital GI Symptom Tracker and educational support toolset which standardizes the way in which care teams and patients accurately identify GI symptoms and overcome educational and psychosocial barriers. In late 2017 the GI Symptom Tracker was clinically-validated and results were presented at the annual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC).

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