We discuss how the psychosocial approach to patient care, which looks at both the psychological and social aspects of a patient's life, impacts a patient's symptoms and overall quality of life.

This week I interview Johannah Ruddy on the psychosocial approach to IBS treatment.

Johannah Ruddy is a national expert, researcher, and writer on teaching communications skills to patients and providers and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Rome Foundation. She has 22 years of executive leadership experience working with a variety of non-profit organizations nationwide and a strong background in writing for patients as well as a speaker at GI practices, medical centers, and conferences in the area of provider communication and patient advocacy.

Her new book, co-authored with Dr. Drossman, Gut Feelings- Disorders of Gut-Brain Interactions, A Guide for Patients and Doctors is now available on Amazon.

She holds a Bachelor of science degree from the University of New Mexico in Political Science, a Masters of Education from New Mexico Highlands University and is a doctoral student at Campbell University. She lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina with her husband of 21 years and their two sons.

We talk about:

How Johannah became interested in IBS
Johannah's own experience with IBS
Johannah's work as a patient advocate & her current work in disorders of the gut-brain interaction
Frustrations for patients diagnosed with IBS
How to better communicate IBS symptoms with doctors
How clinicians can diagnose and treat IBS and other digestive disorders
How health care providers can properly communicate with patients who have disorders of the gut-brain interaction
Why patient centered care matters and how it can benefit both the doctor and the patient
What IBS patients wish they knew about their diagnosis and the journey?

The relationship between functional diseases and associated stigma

The stigma with IBS? How does disorders of the gut-brain interaction research change that?

Role of stigma in the patient's acceptance of an IBS diagnosis and their quality of life

Connect with Johannah on Instagram @johannahruddy on Twitter @JohannahRuddy or on LinkedIn. You can find her book: Gut Feelings- Disorders of Gut-Brain Interactions, A Guide for Patients and Doctors which is now available on Amazon: https://romedross.video/GutFeelingsWebsite

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