{
  "abstract": "Introduction There is increasing recognition of the value of intestinal ultrasound (IUS) in the assessment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, there is little information on the effect of the Introduction of a comprehensive IUS service on imaging referrals and overall impact on costs.Our unit has practised IUS for IBD for many years but has recently expanded the scanning service from 2024 with the addition of a IBD nurse who has been trained to scan, increasing clinical capacity and test accessibility. The effect of this change on numbers of referrals for Magnetic Resonance Enterography (MRE) and overall costs was reviewed over a 5 year period.Methods Retrospective review of 5 years (2021-2025) of numbers of referrals for both IUS and MRE was made with data extracted from Radiology Information Systems and overall costs obtained from year on tear local tariffs.Results The data demonstrates a gradual year on year rise for both IUS and MRE from 2021 -2023. ( table 1). The last two years, however, demonstrate marked reduction in the number of referrals for MRE with doubling of numbers of referrals for IUS following Introduction of additional IBD nurse ultrasound lists. However, although overall numbers of investigations have increased 38% from 2023 (619 to 831) there has been an overall cost reduction of 10% (£85883 to £77601).Conclusions IUS is accessible, well tolerated, accurate and allows immediate decision making in the point of care environment. Improving accessibility for IUS results in significant increase in referrals and corresponding reduction in use of MRE. This is likely to be due to ease of access, clinician and patient preference, closer disease monitoring and the ability to institute therapeutic change at point of care. However, despite the increase in overall numbers of imaging investigations, the overall effect on costs is reduced due to the lower cost of ultrasound. Increasing the numbers of patients imaged and monitored with IUS may have additional benefits in patient compliance and disease control.Abstract P221 Table 1YearMREUSSTotal investigationsMRE cost £Uss cost £Total cost £2021218309527547181761372331202224835560362248202358248320232533666196502120862858832024193461654532682904382311202593738831252035239877601",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University Hospitals Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Barrow In Furness, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Nigel Grunshaw"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University Hospitals Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Barrow In Furness, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Hayley Owen"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P221 Effect of intestinal ultrasound on referrals for MRI and costs in IBD",
  "uid": "0669351c-7be9-5775-ad01-b7d35fbf37c1"
}