S2482 Transforming Liver Care: Patient-Reported Outcomes From a Virtual Multidisciplinary Gastrointestinal Clinic

Introduction: Chronic liver diseases affect approximately 1 in 3 Americans and are a growing contributor to healthcare utilization and morbidity. Patients with liver disease experience complex challenges, including polypharmacy and prolonged wait times for specialty care, averaging 71 days to see a hepatologist as of 2019. While multidisciplinary care models have shown promise in liver disease management, implementation in fully virtual settings remains limited. We evaluated the impact of a virtual multidisciplinary clinic on clinical engagement and patient outcomes among patients with liver diseases. Methods: This is a prospective observational study of commercially insured adults with a primary diagnosis of liver disease, who enrolled in a virtual, multidisciplinary GI clinic between 3/2021-5/2025. Patients receiving ≥1 year of care were included in descriptive analyses of clinical engagement. All patients completed ≥4 clinical visits and provided self-reported outcomes at baseline and after the most recent visit, including symptom severity (of any GI-related symptom), global symptom control, and satisfaction. Paired pre-post comparisons were made using McNemar’s Chi-square tests. Results: We included 323 patients (59% woman with a mean age of 46 ± 11 yrs). The most common liver diagnoses were metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (82%) followed by cirrhosis/advanced fibrosis (4.3%), with new GI/liver diagnoses made in 63% of patients; 33% had a comorbid mental health or behavioral disorder. The average time to first appointment was 6 days. Enrolled patients completed a mean of 9 visits (range 2-46) and exchanged a mean of 60 messages (range 3-591) with the care team. Most patients received care from dietitians (88%) and GI psychologists (59%). Significant improvements were observed in symptom severity (n = 183; 34% moderate-to-severe post-care vs 70% baseline; P < 0.0001), global symptom control (n = 231; 86% post-care vs 0% baseline; P < 0.0001), and satisfaction with care (n = 26; 100% satisfied post-care vs 15% baseline; P < 0.0001). Conclusion: This virtual multidisciplinary GI care model demonstrated high clinical engagement and significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes among individuals with liver diseases. These findings underscore the feasibility and clinical effectiveness of integrated virtual care in managing hepatic disorders, a population that faces barriers to traditional in-person care.