The Patient Experience with Point-of-Care Intestinal Ultrasound for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Monitoring: A...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is an emerging non-invasive tool for monitoring inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• While international data show patient support for IUS, U.S. data on patient preferences and engagement are limited.
• Growing adoption of IUS in the U.S. for real-time IBD management within treat-to-target strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient experiences and preferences for IUS in disease monitoring within U.S. academic IBD centers.
• To evaluate patient engagement and disease activity in relation to IUS-driven care versus non-IUS-driven care.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional observational study at two U.S. academic IBD centers.
• Adult patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were assigned to IUS-driven or non-IUS-driven care.
• Participants completed a 20-item survey assessing preferences, patient activation (PAM-13), medication adherence (MMAS-4), and disease activity; electronic health records were reviewed.

Main Results:

• Of 326 patients, 219 were IUS-exposed. Among IUS-exposed patients, 60.7% strongly preferred IUS for monitoring, and 69.9% reported no discomfort.
• Confidence in IUS was higher than blood work (46.1%), stool studies (35.6%), and other cross-sectional imaging (36.1%), though colonoscopy remained the most trusted (69.0%).
• IUS-exposed patients showed stronger confidence in IUS compared to other non-invasive monitoring methods.

Conclusions:

• Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is highly acceptable, well-tolerated, and preferred by U.S. patients with IBD.
• Findings support the implementation of IUS as a patient-centric monitoring tool in IBD care.
• IUS can enhance patient engagement and satisfaction in managing inflammatory bowel disease.