IBS Symptom Tracker 1.2

 
 

IBS Symptom Tracker 1.1 - Iphone Application to Monitor Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome


Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the IBS Symptom Tracker Application for I -Phone.  The application has several functions designed to help you keep track of and learn about patterns in your IBS symptoms in an effort to develop greater levels of understanding of your symptom experience.


Here are the basic components -


Post Bowel Movement Assessment

This assessment should be completed after each BM and consists

of a few questions.


  1. 1) Are you currently experiencing an episode of your IBS?

The answer to this question is determined by your own understanding and

personal experience with IBS.  Many individuals perceive IBS to be an ‘episodic’

condition that has times when symptoms get worse and times when they are not

‘symptomatic’.  This question will allow you to outline distinctions for yourself.


  1. 2) Were you able to complete this BM?

Many people with IBS-C (constipation predominant) sometimes have a feeling of

incomplete evacuation.  This is important information for your physician as it

may suggest structural components to your symptom picture.


  1. 3) Please rate your stool form (1-7) -

This stool form assessment is the same one gastroenterologists use to identify

diarrheal, constipated and normal stools.  It is called the ‘Bristol Stool Form Scale’

and is frequently used as an outcome measure in GI research.  Ratings of 1 and 2

are said to be indicative of constipated stool, 3,4 & 5 - normal stool, and 6 & 7 -

indicative of diarrheal stool.


  1. 4) (0-10) ratings of Urgency, Abdominal Pain, Current Stress,

Well Being

These measures, when taken over time - will help you see areas of your symptom

experience that might be related to additional variables of stool form and urgency. 

Abdominal pain is a particular hallmark of IBS and has been shown to vary with stress level and sleep patterns.  Stress is hypothesized to play a large role in IBS as well.


                                                                            


Momentary Assessment

The Momentary Assessment should be completed at a variety of time points across the day (Pick your own schedule ~every 4+ hours).  In completing this measurements and looking at the ensuing graphs you’ll develop a better understanding of how your symptoms change and how they relate to your bowel habit.  All of the variables on this assessment are variables that have been shown in research to contribute to your IBS symptom experience.


Graphs in View Data & Send Report

Graphs of your tracked symptoms take as much as 7 seconds to load and prepare.  This is because of the intense calculations required to create the graphs on the I-phone.  Some points to remember when looking at each of the graphs.


  1. 1) Data is averaged -

  2. -For the 24 hour graph, data is averaged in 4 hour increments

  3. -For the 7 Day graph, data is averaged across the day

  4. -For the 90 day graph, data is averaged across two weeks of time


  1. 2) Raw data is collected and will be accessible in future versions.  Data is stored in your iphone for 90 days.  After that, data is erased on a first-in  first-out basis.  If you choose to send your data to BHANC, Inc. - the raw data file is sent to us for use in IBS research.


  1. 3) When you hit the “Send” button, the report will be sent to the e-mail address you specify in the User Settings Section at the bottom of the settings page.  If you want to send your report to more addresses, you’ll need to change the e-mail address in that section and re-send the report.





If you have further questions about this software, or would like to suggest additional features for future versions please send an e-mail to BHANC@everydaypsychologist.com




If you have questions about IBS in general or about how psychologists can work with patients with IBS, please feel free to e-mail Dr. Weinland at stephan.weinland@everydaypsychologist.com or DrWeinland@aol.com



For more information on IBS, please visit the website for the International Foundation for Functional GI & Motility Disorders at www.iffgd.org