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

Background: Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is a non-invasive, accurate tool for monitoring inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with growing adoption in the United States for real-time disease management within treat-to-target algorithms. While international studies highlight strong patient support for IUS, U.S.-based data on patient preferences and engagement are limited.

Aims: This cross-sectional observational study, conducted at two academic IBD centers in the U.S., assessed patient experiences with IUS and preferences for disease monitoring.

Methods: Adults with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) seen for a routine visit were selected to undergo IUS-driven care or non-IUS-driven care, at the discretion of their provider. Participants then completed a 20-item survey, which included Likert scales for comparing disease-monitoring modalities, as well as measures of patient engagement (Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13), Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4)), and disease activity. Electronic health records were reviewed for clinical data.

Results: Of 326 patients (209 (64.1%) with CD; 117 (35.9%) with UC), 219 (67.2%) were IUS exposed (underwent IUS-driven care on the date of survey or previously) and 107 (32.8%) were IUS naïve. 133 (60.7%) IUS-exposed participants expressed a strong preference for IUS when comparing disease-monitoring modalities, with 153 (69.9%) reporting no discomfort. 225/326 (69.0%) expressed the strongest confidence in colonoscopy. 101 (46.1%) IUS-exposed participants expressed stronger confidence in IUS vs. blood work (96; 43.8%), stool studies (78; 35.6%), and other cross-sectional imaging (79; 36.1%).

Conclusion: IUS is highly acceptable, well tolerated, and preferred by our U.S.

Population: These findings support the implementation of IUS as a patient-centric monitoring tool.