S1681 Diverging Trajectories: Trends in Intestinal Ultrasound Utilization for IBD Across Academic and Non-Academic Institutions (2017–2024)

Introduction: Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) has emerged as a valuable, non-invasive tool for real-time assessment of disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While widely adopted in European clinical practice, IUS implementation in the United States has been slower and potentially uneven across healthcare settings. Academic centers, often at the forefront of adopting novel technologies, may integrate IUS more readily than non-academic institutions. Understanding this differential uptake is crucial to ensuring equitable access to advanced diagnostics. This study evaluates temporal trends in IUS utilization among IBD patients at academic vs non-academic centers in a large, multi-institutional real-world dataset. Methods: We queried the TriNetX US Collaborative Network for adult IBD patients (International Classification of Diseases-10: K50, K51) between 2017 and 2024. IUS procedures were identified using CPT and International Classification of Diseases-10 -PCS codes. The incidence proportion of IUS was calculated annually. Patients were stratified by institution type (academic vs non-academic), age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Results: Among 488,673 patients in academic centers and 196,051 in non-academic centers, IUS use increased in both groups over the 8 years. In academic centers, IUS incidence rose from 1.9% in 2017 to 3.03% in 2024, showing a steeper increase. In non-academic centers, the increase was slower, from 1.75% to 2.76%. Hispanic patients had the highest rise in IUS use in both settings, peaking at 4.26% (academic) vs 5.77% (non-academic) in 2024. Additionally, Female patients demonstrated slightly higher IUS use in both cohorts. Furthermore, Peak use occurred in the 30–59 age range, steadily increasing across all groups. Use was highest among Asian and White patients in academic centers; in non-academic centers, disparities were more evident with lower rates in Black patients. Conclusion: Over 8 years, IUS utilization in IBD care has significantly increased across both academic and non-academic institutions, with academic centers demonstrating a more consistent rise. Disparities in adoption by institution type, race, ethnicity, and sex were evident, with Hispanic and female patients showing higher rates of IUS use. These findings underscore the growing integration of IUS into IBD care pathways but also highlight gaps in uniform access. Targeted dissemination strategies, broader provider education, and infrastructure support are needed to bridge these disparities and promote equitable adoption of IUS across all clinical settings.