IBD in the Workplace Survey by CCA

I received this e-mail yesterday from Crohn's and Colitis Australia and thought I'd post it here for others to see and possibly complete. 

Important Survey for all members living with IBD

IBD in the Workplace 

 

Employment stability and security are issues on everyone’s mind in this current climate, and even more so if you suffer from a chronic illness such as IBD. Over the years, we have received many calls from members who were confused about their rights and obligations in the workplace. CCA has heard too many stories from people who suffered discrimination at work due to their condition.

 

In response to this, our 2009 National Crohn’s & Colitis Week Campaign will focus on the workplace, employment issues, and challenges faced by people living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. 

To help support this year’s important public awareness campaign, it is necessary for CCA to gather strong, credible data. To achieve this, we have developed an online survey to give our members the opportunity to be heard. 

 

The only participation requirement is that you are over 16 years of age, and have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. If you are a carer for someone with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, please encourage them to complete the survey.

 

The survey can be accessed at http://www.ibdsurvey.com and will take approximately ten minutes to complete.

 

Please complete the survey by Sunday 24th May 2009

Your support is extremely valuable. It is only through sharing your experiences and challenges that we are able to raise awareness and improve the lives and employment opportunities for people living with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.

The information gathered from the research will be used to;

·         Raise public awareness through various media outlets

·         Influence employers and governments to establish supportive and fair work environments for people living with IBD

·         Assist with targeting our communication and media campaign

·         Help create an understanding of Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, and dispel some of the misconceptions.

The survey is completely anonymous, and being completed by our research consultants StollzNow Research. Your answers are covered by the Market and Social Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act and the Market and Social Research Society Code of Professional Behaviour.

If you have any questions about the survey and its purpose, please call Crohn’s & Colitis Australia on 1800 138 029. If you have any technical questions or problems with the survey, please call StollzNow Research on 1800 010 543.

Thank you for your support and participation, your contribution is greatly appreciated.

Australian Crohn's & Colitis Association ABN: 42 082 747 135 

PO Box 2160 Hawthorn VIC 3122 AUSTRALIA Ph: 03 9815 1266

Economic costs of IBD in Australia

The Australian Crohn’s & Colitis Association (ACCA) released a report on the economic costs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Australia and the results are quite astounding. Even though the report is almost two years old now, it’s still relevant and makes for an interesting read. Below is the two page summary report, but you can read the full report on the ACCA website.

From the two page Summary report into the Economic costs of IBD in Australia:

Basic facts about IBD in Australia
• Over 61,000 people have IBD (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) in Australia
• 28,000 people are living with Crohn’s disease, 33,000 with ulcerative colitis
• Around 776 new cases of Crohn’s and 846 new cases of colitis are diagnosed every year
• Crohn’s disease is more common in females, ulcerative colitis is more common in males
• IBD can be diagnosed at any age, with peak onset between 15 to 40
• Prevalence will increase by 20% for Crohn’s disease & 25% for ulcerative colitis by 2020
• IBD accounts for just 0.1% of the total allocated recurrent health expenditure in Australia

Comparisons
• In any year IBD is more prevalent that epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and schizophrenia
• The burden of disability for people living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis is comparable to living with rheumatoid arthritis, severe asthma, or the amputation of an arm
• Disability due to IBD is more severe than living with Type 1 diabetes or epilepsy

Total economic costs of IBD
• The economic cost of IBD in Australia is $2.7 billion, which includes a total financial cost of $500 million and a net cost of lost wellbeing of $2.2 billion
• Loss of productivity accounts for $266.7 million (55% of total financial cost)
• Health system costs are $79.0 million (16%) and carer costs $23.5 million (5%)
• The loss of taxation revenue and government payments total $91.3 million (18%) and out-of-pocket and funeral expenses are $36.2 million (7%)

Areas of greatest financial cost:
• Lost productivity accounts for more than half the $500 million financial cost of IBD.
• The productivity costs of $266.7 million include absenteeism, workplace separation and early retirement and premature death
• The estimated annual costs of absenteeism for people with IBD are $52.3 million ($8.2 million incurred by employees and $44.1 million by employers)
• The annual cost of lost earnings due to workplace separation and early retirement from IBD is $204.2 million
• Premature death accounts for $10.2 million annually

Areas of greatest challenge
• Community awareness levels are not high, IBD is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Stigma is often associated with IBD, due to the symptoms
• Late diagnosis and inappropriate investigation and management are substantial problems
• The cost of pharmaceuticals can be prohibitive, forcing some patients into surgeries that might otherwise be avoided
• Long-term impacts on employment prospects can lead to inadequate leave entitlements and superannuation
• There is little employment protection against redundancy and demotions and poor information and support for employers and employees
• Currently there is no public funding of community based delivery of support services for people with IBD – ACCA relies on donations, sponsorship and membership fees to provide services
• There is a need for more research into the ‘cause, care and cure’ of IBD. Currently research accounts for just 1.1% of 0.1% of the health budget
Report Recommendations: A National Strategy
• Increase community awareness to help understanding of IBD and reduce stigma
• Improve education programs to assist earlier diagnosis and management
• Provide better access to latest pharmaceuticals including biological therapies
• Improve health services, especially access to IBD specialists and public sector treatment
• Workplace education programs to help keep people at work and counter discrimination
• Greater support services for people with IBD, their family and carers
• More funding for research and development to further investigate the epidemiological observation that the incidence of IBD is increasing

About ACCA
• The Australian Crohn’s and Colitis Association is the peak body representing people with inflammatory bowel disease in Australia
• ACCA’s mission is to support the Crohn’s and Colitis community with a focus on confidential support programs including education, advocacy, counselling, increasing awareness and generating and utilising funds for research and support
• ACCA’s Information Line receives more than 1000 calls a year
• Around 2000 people attend ACCA IBD Forums around Australia ever year
• ACCA is a registered not for profit national organisation funded entirely through membership fees, donations and fundraising activities.
• ACCA does not currently receive financial support from either the state or federal governments
• Donations are tax deductible
• For more information about ACCA visit http://www.acca.net.au/ or call 1800 138 029