S1591 Virtual Multidisciplinary Clinic Improves IBD Patient Engagement, Satisfaction, and Symptoms at Reduced Costs and Healthcare Utilization: A Propensity-Matched Prospective Observational Study

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rising worldwide, yet care remains fragmented, delaying effective therapy. Virtual and multidisciplinary care models can each individually improve IBD outcomes, but no study has tested a fully virtual multidisciplinary clinic designed for IBD. We evaluated whether a virtual multidisciplinary gastrointestinal (GI) clinic improves patient-reported outcomes and lowers healthcare use and costs in IBD patients. Methods: This prospective observational study included adults with IBD and commercial insurance who enrolled in a virtual multidisciplinary GI clinic between 3/2021–5/2025. Patients receiving ≥1 year of care were analyzed for clinical engagement. Those completing ≥4 visits provided baseline and post-care (after the most recent visit) self-reports on symptom severity, global symptom control, and satisfaction. McNemar’s Chi-square tests assessed paired pre-post outcomes. Claims data from 9- and 12-month periods were compared to propensity-matched controls using difference-in-difference (DiD) analysis, adjusting for baseline clinical and cost factors. Results: We included 120 patients (58% women, mean age 39.7 ± 11.8) and 202 matched controls. New GI diagnoses were made in 30%. Enrolled patients had a mean of 11 visits (range 2–42) and exchanged 164 messages (range 0–755). Most received care from dietitians (86%) and GI psychologists (68%). Symptom severity (n = 106; 20% moderate-to-severe post-care vs 59% baseline; P < 0.0001), global symptom control (n = 117; 90% vs 44%; P < 0.0001) and satisfaction with care (n = 61; 98% vs 36%; P < 0.0001) were significantly improved. Compared to controls, there were numerical reductions in GI surgery (76%; P = 0.16), GI-ED visits (76%; P = 0.56), GI-inpatient stays (48%; P = 0.52), and GI-imaging (15%; P = 0.74) at 9 months. Nine-month all-cause costs ($40,261 vs $54,672; DiD $15,731; P = 0.16) and prescription costs ($37,824 vs $50,902; DiD $9,774; P = 0.37) were numerically lower. Twelve-month savings persisted (all-cause: $50,576 vs $67,147; DiD $16,751; P = 0.21; prescription costs: $35,683 vs $48,002; DiD $12,426; P = 0.35). Conclusion: A virtual multidisciplinary IBD clinic achieved high clinical engagement and improved symptoms and satisfaction. While differences in utilization and costs were not statistically significant, the observed trends were robust and showed consistently lower costs among cases compared to controls. Virtual multidisciplinary care is a scalable, effective strategy for modern IBD management.