Adherence to European Guidelines for Treatment and Management of Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency in Chronic Pancreatitis Patients

Abstract

European evidence-based guidelines for the treatment and management of chronic pancreatitis (CP) have been made available following the harmonizing diagnosis and treatment of CP across Europe (HaPanEU) initiative by the United European Gastroenterology (UEG). The aim of this study was to evaluate adherence to the guideline recommendations in the management of patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. UEG guideline recommendations were evaluated and categorized into 55 different quality indicators (QIs). Data from a retrospective cohort of CP patients being treated at Karolinska University Hospital were evaluated with regard to overall adherence as well as adherence to specific QIs. A total number of 118 patients out of 956 patients diagnosed with CP were eligible for inclusion with mean overall adherence of 61.9% to the defined QIs. A significant difference in mean overall adherence was shown between patients diagnosed with CP prior to 1 January 2016 and following 1 January 2016 (59.3% and 67.7% respectively, p = 0.004), with linear regression analysis also demonstrating improvement correlating to date of diagnosis (p = 0.002). In conclusion, diagnosis and treatment of PEI improved after the HaPanEU guidelines became available and is continuously improving; however, there is room for further improvement.