SUMMARY
Christina Y. Ha, M.D., specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Her IBD clinical care model is centered around a team-based multidisciplinary care approach in conjunction with her colleagues from colorectal surgery, radiology, pathology and others. Dr. Ha strives to provide comprehensive and individual-centered care plans. She collaborates with her colleagues in her local community and beyond. Dr. Ha's areas of clinical interest center around the natural history and clinical outcomes of IBD in the older population, quality improvement in IBD clinical workflows, and IBD trainee education.
Focus areas
- Older individuals with IBD. The population as a whole is aging, and the percentage of older people with IBD is growing steadily. There is a shortage of focused IBD outcomes research in the elderly for this important group of people where benefit-to-risk ratios may differ compared to younger individuals. Dr. Ha studies the safety and effectiveness of advanced IBD therapies for older people. She studies risk stratification models for the elderly needing advanced IBD therapies. Dr. Ha researches barriers to quality IBD care in the Medicare-aged population.
IBD education. The field of IBD is progressing rapidly. There is a need for quality, advanced IBD training for gastroenterology fellows, junior faculty, recent graduates and advanced practice professionals with an interest in an IBD-focused clinical practice. Dr. Ha collaborates with colleagues from Cleveland Clinic Foundation, University of Pennsylvania and Mayo Clinic to create educational, mentorship, and networking opportunities through the Merging IBD Leaders Education to Standardize Training, Organize Networks and implement EPAs (MILESTONE IBD). MILESTONE IBD is a program designed for advanced IBD fellows.
The MILESTONE-APP is a longitudinal program designed for advanced practice professionals with a clinical focus on care for people with IBD. As part of this program, Dr. Ha conducts educational and clinical practice needs assessment surveys and identifies areas in need of further training and optimization of workflows.
- Quality improvement. The healthcare utilization in IBD is substantial and associated with higher costs of care. Dr. Ha strives to decrease hospitalizations and improve clinical care workflows with the goal of leading to better care outcomes.
- Working with IBD Pharm.D. Pharm.D. is a doctor of pharmacy. Dr. Ha's team creates workflows for outpatient management of people with acute severe ulcerative colitis. This is done through a multidisciplinary outpatient care model. Many of these researchers are Pharm.D. experts. There is an evaluation of care outcomes regarding colectomies, costs of care, adherence, medication initiation, adverse events of therapy and treatment persistence versus standard inpatient care models.
- Clinical trial enrollment. Dr. Ha investigates the external validity of randomized controlled trial results when applied to an outpatient IBD referral population.
Significance to patient care
IBD care is more complex now than ever before. Ensuring a strong foundation for future IBD clinical professionals, educators and researchers is paramount to continue the forward progress for IBD care.
Investing in trainee and APP education is essential to accomplish this goal and to ensure that best and current practices are utilized for individuals living with IBD. This includes understanding the needs of specific populations that are often underrepresented or not included in clinical studies.
These clinical studies serve as the backbone for the guideline-based recommendations for IBD care. Appreciating and recognizing the age, individual, and disease-specific factors that may influence IBD outcomes is important and necessary for people-centered care. Inclusive in this task is recognizing the needs of IBD individuals, in terms of testing, treatment and health-care utilization. There is a significant cost physically, financially and psychologically for people with IBD. Dr. Ha optimizes workflows to be more efficient, maximizes the strengths of her clinical care partners and recognizes the individual's burden associated with IBD care. These improved workflows lead to better adherence to plans of care and improved outcomes.