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Colitis Quiz

Choosing the Next Step in Ulcerative Colitis Is Personal

There are many different types of medicines that can be used to treat ulcerative colitis. Depending on how your disease behaves, your goals, and how your body responded to previous treatments, biologics may be an option.

Ready to find out more?

Learn more about biologic medications.

TAKING A BIOLOGIC

Biologics are taken by intravenous infusion (IV) or an injection under the skin.
1.
Choose the answer that best describes you.
2.
Choose the answer that best describes you.
3.
Choose the answer that best describes you.
4.
Choose the answer that best describes you.

DOSING

Some biologics are taken more frequently than others.
5.
Choose the answer that best describes you.

Biologics may be used on their own, but sometimes they are used with other medications
(such as steroids or other medications that reduce your immune response).

6.
Choose the answer that best describes you.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR TRAVEL

Some medicines are more convenient than others to take while travelling. Some may need to be refrigerated.
7.
How often do you spend a week or more away from home? Choose the answer that best describes you.
8.
How often do you spend more than two months away from home? Choose the answer that best describes you.
9.
At your typical destination(s), how challenging might it be for you to store refrigerated medication properly? Choose the answer that best describes you.

TREATMENT GOALS AND SUPPORT

10.
What is important to you in making a treatment decision?

Please rate each of the following.

Symptom relief
Side effects I might experience
How my medication is taken
How often my medication is taken
How long I may be able to keep taking my medication
My medication can be taken on its own (e.g., without steroids or immunosuppressants)
Reducing the inflammation process
Type of support that is offered (training, information, emotional support)
11.
Your disease affects you every day. Beyond treatment, what other support do you think you may need to manage your ulcerative colitis? Choose the answers that best describe you.

GET MY PERSONALIZED BIOLOGIC PREFERENCES REPORT

Your Personalized
Report

You and your doctor should share the decision-making process.
Here are some topics to discuss with them
based on your answers.

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Your preferred
characteristics
in a biologic:

TAKING A BIOLOGIC

  • Can be administered by myself or caregiver/family member
  • Can be administered by a healthcare professional
  • Can be administered at home
  • Can be administered at a medical clinic
  • Regular travel to a clinic would be challenging
  • Regular travel to a clinic would be easy for me
  • Spending up to 2 hours getting an infusion would be a challenge
  • It is not a hardship to spend up to 2 hours getting an infusion
  • No factors selected

DOSING

  • Prefer taking a medicine less frequently (e.g., every few months)
  • Fine with taking a medicine more frequently (e.g., every few weeks)
  • Prefer taking a biologic on its own with no steroids or other medications for this condition
  • Fine with taking steroids or other medications in addition to a biologic for this condition
  • No factors selected

CONSIDERATIONS FOR TRAVEL

  • Never spend a week or more away from home
  • Spend a week or more away from home once or twice a year
  • Spend a week or more away from home three or more times per year
  • Spend more than two months away from home less than once a year
  • Spend more than two months away from home once a year or more
  • There would be some challenge storing refrigerated medication properly while travelling
  • It would be very challenging storing refrigerated medication properly while travelling
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Important factors you consider
when choosing a treatment:

  • Symptom relief
  • Side effects I might experience
  • How my medication is taken
  • How often my medication is taken
  • How long I may be able to keep taking my medication
  • My medication can be taken on its own (e.g., without steroids or immunosuppressants)
  • Reducing the inflammation process
  • Type of support that is offered (training, information, emotional support)
  • No factors selected

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Questions for your doctor:

  1. Which biologics can I inject myself?
  2. How can I be trained to inject myself?
  3. Where are the medical clinics located?
  4. Which biologics are better for me if I’m not comfortable injecting myself?
  5. How often is this biologic taken? How does that compare to others?
  6. Would this biologic be taken on its own or with other medications (such as steroids)?
  7. How would I manage this medicine if I needed or wanted to travel?
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Ask your healthcare team about:

  • Patient support programs with nursing support
  • Where to find trustworthy information on ulcerative colitis
  • Where to learn more about medications for ulcerative colitis
  • Patient groups such as Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Download my report

QUIZ FEEDBACK

Please indicate how much you agree with the following statement: After using the tool, I feel confident discussing my medication preferences with my doctor.

Thank you

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Biologic medications are made from living cells.

Biologics block key cells or chemicals involved in triggering inflammation, the body’s normal response to things like injury, infection, stress, and pain.

In IBD patients, use of biologics helps reduce the inflammation process and relieve the associated symptoms.

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Many biologic medicines come with access to free patient support programs.

These programs can help with insurance applications and often offer help to make sure you are taking your medicines properly and on time.

For medications taken intravenously, patient support programs often offer a central location where you can have your medications infused and have questions answered by a healthcare professional. This location may be more comfortable or convenient for you than a public healthcare clinic or hospital.

For medicines that are injected under the skin, patient support programs offer training, supervision, and ongoing support. They will help you to learn to safely store your medicine and manage your injections by yourself or with a caregiver. Some injections can also be given at a central clinic by a healthcare professional if you prefer.

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Injection under the skin Intravenous infusion
Where it is taken? At home, by yourself, or sometimes in a clinic At an infusion centre or clinic
How long does it take to give the dose? About 10 seconds Depending on the medicine, infusions last 30 minutes or 2 hours
How often is it taken?
  • Depends on medicine but usually every 2, 8, or 12 weeks
  • May require intravenous induction before transitioning to injections
 Every 8 weeks, with extra induction doses in the first 6 weeks
Considerations
  • May need to be stored in the fridge
  • May be available in pre-filled devices
  • Patient support programs can teach you to self-inject and make sure you are doing it correctly
  • If you are travelling, you may need to carry refrigerated medication; patient support programs often provide “travel kits” for this purpose
  • Time to travel to and from the infusion centre
  • There may be parking or transit costs to consider
  • If you are travelling, you may not be able to access an infusion clinic and receive your medicine
  • No need to consider medication storage while travelling
  • Regular access to a healthcare professional for questions and concerns