{
  "abstract": "Introduction The IBD Standards of Care recommend that services provide patients with rapid access to specialist advice to support disease management, including a helpline to enable early intervention when patients become unwell or require advice between appointments. Traditionally, this has been via a phone line, with voicemails reviewed by the clinical team, sometimes with a shared email inbox. Helpline activity increased from 6,466 contacts in 2023 to 8,206 in 2024 and 9,736 in 2025. As the number of patients under our care increased and needs became more complex our IBD service helpline became overwhelmed, staff capacity was stretched, and patient feedback declined as patients found it difficult to reach the team. This increased demand was managed without additional staffing, demonstrating higher throughput within existing capacity Accurx was introduced in 2024 to restore timely access to care and support a triage-first approach to managing IBD and reducing the impact of flares.Methods Accurx is an NHS-approved digital platform enabling secure communication with patients. Patients access the service via a secure web link shared by text message or QR code across patient communications, including clinic letters and leaflets. Patients complete a structured form capturing standardised information to support safe and efficient triage, including demographic details to enable patient verification. The form uses targeted questions based on the reason for contact, such as reporting a flare, requesting medication review, or raising admin queries, allowing informed triage decisions without additional follow-up. The telephone helpline remained in place to ensure inclusive access. All contacts, whether received via phone or Accurx, were tracked centrally, enabling the IBD coordinator to prioritise patients reporting flare-ups.Results Accurx was implemented in June 2024. Over 19 months the service received 13,707 contacts, of which 5,080 (37%) related to IBD flare-ups and 8,627 (63%) concerned medication queries, test results, ongoing clinical issues, or administrative requests. Flare-related contacts increased from 2,135 in 2023 to 3,450 in 2025, indicating improved access during clinical deterioration. Same-day resolution of queries improved from 71% to 100%, reflecting improved responsiveness.Conclusions Introducing Accurx alongside the telephone helpline significantly improved access, efficiency, and patient experience within the IBD service. Structured digital triage reduced nursing time spent on administrative requests, improved prioritisation of clinical workload, and supported timely care planning and escalation when required. Non-urgent queries were often resolved via secure messaging, reducing both the volume and duration of phone calls and allowing calls to focus on clinical decision-making. This triage-first model exceeds the minimum IBD Standards of Care.Abstract P263 Figure 1",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University Hospitals of Leicester, Infirmary Square. Leicester, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Sharon Gethins"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University Hospitals of Leicester, Infirmary Square. Leicester, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Lauren Matts"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University Hospitals of Leicester, Infirmary Square. Leicester, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Patricia Hooper"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P263 Remodelling IBD access: our helpline, powered by accurx patient triage",
  "uid": "0659035a-4811-542a-9fd4-b253751fdd1c"
}