S2952 Virtual Multidisciplinary GI Clinic Improves Patient Engagement, Satisfaction, and Symptoms at Reduced Costs and Healthcare Utilization: A Propensity-Matched Prospective Observational Study

Introduction: Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are common, burdensome, and costly. Virtual and multidisciplinary models each improve outcomes, yet no study has tested a virtual multidisciplinary clinic for GI care. We evaluated the impact of a virtual multidisciplinary GI clinic on patient-reported outcomes, utilization, and costs. Methods: This is a prospective observational study of adults with commercial insurance who enrolled in a virtual, multidisciplinary gastroenterology clinic between 3/2021-5/2025. Patients receiving ≥1 year of care were analyzed for clinical engagement. Patients who completed ≥4 clinical visits provided self-reported outcomes at baseline and after the most recent visit, including 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 2,796 patients (65% woman, mean age 40 ± 11 years) and 3,102 matched controls. Among clinic patients, the most common GI conditions were disorders of gut brain interaction (49%) and esophageal disorders (38%), with new GI diagnoses made in 36%. Enrolled patients completed a mean of 7 visits (range 1–46) and exchanged an average of 61 messages (range 5–942). Most patients received care from dietitians (82%) and GI psychologists (56%). Significant improvements were observed in symptom severity (n = 1,246; 28% moderate-to-severe post-care vs 78% at baseline; P < 0.0001), global symptom control (n = 1,315; 90% post-care vs 14% at baseline; P < 0.0001), and satisfaction with care (n = 460; 97% satisfied post-care vs 30% at baseline; P < 0.0001). Compared to matched controls, there were significant reductions in GI-ED visits (68%, P < 0.0001), GI-surgery (56%, P = 0.02), GI-inpatient admissions (52%, P = 0.05), and GI-imaging (50%, P < 0.0001) at 9 months post-enrollment. All-cause costs were substantially reduced at 9 months ($10,700 vs $15,275; DiD = $5,788; P < 0.0001) and remained significantly lower at 12 months ($14,412 vs $19,449; DiD = $6,081; P = 0.002). Conclusion: A fully virtual multidisciplinary GI clinic yielded high clinical engagement, improved symptoms and satisfaction, and markedly lowered utilization and costs, supporting its scalability for modern GI care.