Delayed IBD Diagnosis Leads to Worse Outcomes over the Years, with Multiple Implications for Service Delivery

Delays in diagnosis are unfortunately quite common in most health systems. It is apparent that timely diagnosis is more likely to have a favourable outcome. However, there may be many reasons why timely diagnosis is not always achieved. The poor outcomes due to delayed diagnosis go beyond the obvious perception. There have been multiple studies looking into this aspect, and most have focused on the median delays as per disease types and their outcomes. Our focus in this study was to understand if there is a time scale beyond which the delay becomes detrimental. This topic is particularly important and pertinent now given the significant burdens many health systems are facing during the post-pandemic recovery period. It is important to understand the factors leading to a delay to rectify and offer solutions.