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Use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, such as machine learning-based predictive algorithms, holds promise for advancing outcomes, but few systems are used in routine clinical practice. Trust has been cited as an important challenge to meaningful use of artificial intelligence in clinical practice. Artificial intelligence systems often involve automating cognitively challenging tasks. Therefore, previous literature on trust in automation may hold important lessons for artificial intelligence applications in healthcare. In this perspective, we argue that informatics should take lessons from literature on trust in automation such that the goal should be to foster appropriate trust in artificial intelligence based on the purpose of the tool, its process for making recommendations, and its performance in the given context. We adapt a conceptual model to support this argument and present recommendations for future work.

Background and Aims The diagnosis and follow up of patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] requires cross-sectional imaging modalities, such as intestinal ultrasound [IUS], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and computed tomography [CT]. The quality and homogeneity of medical reporting are crucial to ensure effective communication between specialists and to improve patient care. The current topical review addresses optimized reporting requirements for cross-sectional imaging in IBD. Methods An expert consensus panel consisting of gastroenterologists, radiologists and surgeons convened by the ECCO in collaboration with ESGAR performed a systematic literature review covering the reporting aspects of MRI, CT, IUS, endoanal ultrasonography and transperineal ultrasonography in IBD. Practice position statements were developed utilizing a Delphi methodology incorporating two consecutive rounds. Current practice positions were set when ≥80% of the participants agreed on a recommendation. Results Twenty-five practice positions were developed, establishing standard terminology for optimal reporting in cross-sectional imaging. Assessment of inflammation, complications and imaging of perianal CD are outlined. The minimum requirements of a standardized report, including a list of essential reporting items, have been defined. Conclusions This topical review offers practice recommendations to optimize and homogenize reporting in cross-sectional imaging in IBD.

Background and Aims No consensus exists on defining intestinal ultrasound response, transmural healing, or transmural remission in inflammatory bowel disease, nor clear guidance for optimal timing of assessment during treatment. This systematic review and expert consensus study aimed to define such recommendations, along with key parameters included in response reporting. Methods Electronic databases were searched from inception to July 26, 2021, using pre-defined terms. Studies were eligible if at least two intestinal ultrasound [IUS] assessments at different time points during treatment were reported, along with an appropriate reference standard. The QUADAS-2 tool was used to examine study-level risk of bias. An international panel of experts [n = 18] rated an initial 196 statements [RAND/UCLA process, scale 1–9]. Two videoconferences were conducted, resulting in additional ratings of 149 and 13 statements, respectively. Results Out of 5826 records, 31 full-text articles, 16 abstracts, and one research letter were included; 83% [40/48] of included studies showed a low concern of applicability, and 96% [46/48] had a high risk of bias. A consensus was reached on 41 statements, with clear definitions of IUS treatment response, transmural healing, transmural remission, timing of assessment, and general considerations when using intestinal ultrasound in inflammatory bowel disease. Conclusions Response criteria and time points of response assessment varied between studies, complicating direct comparison of parameter changes and their relation to treatment outcomes. To ensure a unified approach in routine care and clinical trials, we provide recommendations and definitions for key parameters for intestinal ultrasound response, to incorporate into future prospective studies.

In light of recent attention on artists as community assets, what is current U.S. public opinion on public support for artists? After tracing the history of perceptions of public funding of artists...

Background Fibrocytes are hematopoietic cells with features of mesenchymal cells found in the circulation and inflammatory sites implicated in promoting fibrosis in many fibroinflammatory diseases. However, their role(s) in the development of intestinal fibrosis is poorly understood. Here, we investigated a potential role of fibrocytes in the development of fibrosis in Crohn’s disease (CD) and sought factors that may impact their development and function. Methods Plasma and mononuclear cells were collected from patients with and without fibrostenotic CD. Fibrocytes defined as CD11b+, CD34+, and Collagen 1+ were correlated with clinical assessments of fibrosis, including evaluation using intestinal ultrasound. We measured the levels of relevant circulating molecules via Luminex and studied the effect of patient plasma proteins on fibrocyte differentiation. Results Fibrocyte numbers were increased in CD patients with stricturing Crohn’s disease compared with patients with an inflammatory phenotype (P = .0013), with strong correlation between fibrocyte numbers and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), a measure of bowel elasticity on intestinal ultrasound (R = .8383, P = .0127). Fibrostenotic plasma was a more potent inducer of fibrocyte differentiation in both primary human monocytes and cell line and contained increased levels of cytokines implicated in fibrocyte differentiation compared with plasma from inflammatory patients. Interestingly, increased fibrocyte numbers at time of ultrasound were associated with escalation of medical therapy and endoscopic/surgical management of small bowel strictures at 30 months follow-up. Conclusions Circulating fibrocytes strongly correlate with fibrostenotic disease in CD, and they may serve as predictors for escalation of medical +/- surgical therapy.

Background Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) recommends not to perform gastroscopy for dyspepsia in otherwise healthy adults less than 55 years of age (2014). The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of gastroscopy in a young, healthy population with uncomplicated dyspepsia. Methods A retrospective review of gastroscopies completed during 3-month periods in 2015, 2016, and 2017 identified all patients undergoing gastroscopy for the primary indication of dyspepsia. Low-risk patients for dyspepsia were defined as adults, aged 18 to 54 years without alarm symptoms, comorbidities and/or abnormal imaging findings or laboratory values. Gastroscopy and pathology reports were reviewed to identify clinically actionable findings. Clinical outcomes were followed to December 31, 2018 including gastroenterology referrals, emergency room visitation and hospitalization. Results Among 1358 patients having a gastroscopy for dyspepsia, 480 (35%) were low-risk patients. Sixteen patients 3.3% (16/480) had a clinically actionable result found on gastroscopy or biopsy. No malignant lesions were detected. Low-risk patients were followed up for an average of 2.75 years, 8% (39/480) visited the emergency department (ED), 1% (3/480) of patients were admitted to hospital and 12% (59/480) of patients were re-referred for a dyspepsia-related concern. Interpretation A high rate of low yield, high cost, invasive endoscopic investigations were performed in this population of otherwise healthy patients under age 55 years. These data suggest limited uptake of current recommendations against the routine use of gastroscopy to investigate dyspepsia.

Objective The goals of this study are to describe the value and impact of Project HealthDesign (PHD), a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that applied design thinking to personal health records, and to explore the applicability of the PHD model to another challenging translational informatics problem: the integration of AI into the healthcare system. Materials and Methods We assessed PHD’s impact and value in 2 ways. First, we analyzed publication impact by calculating a PHD h-index and characterizing the professional domains of citing journals. Next, we surveyed and interviewed PHD grantees, expert consultants, and codirectors to assess the program’s components and the potential future application of design thinking to artificial intelligence (AI) integration into healthcare. Results There was a total of 1171 unique citations to PHD-funded work (collective h-index of 25). Studies citing PHD span medical, legal, and computational journals. Participants stated that this project transformed their thinking, altered their career trajectory, and resulted in technology transfer into the commercial sector. Participants felt, in general, that the approach would be valuable in solving contemporary challenges integrating AI in healthcare including complex social questions, integrating knowledge from multiple domains, implementation, and governance. Conclusion Design thinking is a systematic approach to problem-solving characterized by cooperation and collaboration. PHD generated significant impacts as measured by citations, reach, and overall effect on participants. PHD’s design thinking methods are potentially useful to other work on cyber–physical systems, such as the use of AI in healthcare, to propose structural or policy-related changes that may affect adoption, value, and improvement of the care delivery system.

Objective Successful technological implementations frequently involve individuals who serve as mediators between end users, management, and technology developers. The goal for this project was to evaluate the structure and activities of such mediators in a large-scale electronic health record implementation. Materials and Methods Field notes from observations taken during implementation beginning in November 2017 were analyzed qualitatively using a thematic analysis framework to examine the relationship between specific types of mediators and the type and level of support to end users. Results We found that support personnel possessing both contextual knowledge of the institution’s workflow and training in the new technology were the most successful in mediation of adoption and use. Those that lacked context of either technology or institutional workflow often displayed barriers in communication, trust, and active problem solving. Conclusions These findings suggest that institutional investment in technology training and explicit programs to foster skills in mediation, including roles for professionals with career development opportunities, prior to implementation can be beneficial in easing the pain of system transition.

Background and Aims Intestinal ultrasound [IUS] is an accurate, patient-centreed monitoring tool that objectively evaluates Crohn’s disease [CD] activity. However no current, widely accepted, reproducible activity index exists to facilitate consistent IUS identification of inflammatory activity. The aim of this study is to identify key parameters of CD inflammation on IUS, evaluate their reliability, and develop an IUS index reflecting segmental activity. Methods There were three phases: [1] expert consensus Delphi method to derive measures of IUS activity; [2] an initial, multi-expert case acquisition and expert interpretation of 20 blinded cases, to measure inter-rater reliability for individual measures; [3] refinement of case acquisition and interpretation by 12 international experts, with 30 blinded case reads with reliability assessment and development of a segmental activity score. Results Delphi consensus: 11 experts representing seven countries identified four key parameters including: [1] bowel wall thickness [BWT]; [2] bowel wall stratification; [3] hyperaemia of the wall [colour Doppler imaging]; and [4] inflammatory mesenteric fat. Blind read: each variable exhibited moderate to substantial reliability. Optimal, standardised image and cineloop acquisition were established. Second blind read and score development: intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC] for BWT was almost perfect at 0.96 [0.94–0.98]. All four parameters correlated with the global disease activity assessment and were included in the final International Bowel Ultrasound Segmental Activity Score with almost perfect ICC (0.97 [0.95–0.99, p Conclusions Using expert consensus and standardised approaches, identification of key activity measurements on IUS has been achieved and a segmental activity score has been proposed, demonstrating excellent reliability.

The major sources of the data on the hematological malignancies in the post-Chernobyl period in the regions of Ukraine differing by the levels of the residual contamination with radionuclides have been analyzed. According to the data collected from the primary hematological facilities in Ukraine in 2010-2017, the incidence of lymphoid neoplasms from mature B cells, acute myeloid leukemia, and multiple myeloma in the most contaminated regions was higher than in the less contaminated ones. For the first time, the relative contribution of the several specific types of leukemia in the total diagnosed hematological malignancies has been analyzed throughout 1997-2017 based on the in-house database compiled by the Reference Laboratory of RE Kavetsky Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In 2011-2017, the Reference Laboratory provided the diagnostic studies in about 26% of all Ukrainian patients with tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (34% of patients with different forms of acute and chronic leukemia). The increased proportion of acute myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the total diagnosed cases of overall leukemia in the patients from contaminated regions has been demonstrated following Chernobyl accident.

BACKGROUND: Medical therapy and/or endoscopic balloon dilation with intralesional therapies are options for treatment of small bowel fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease (CD). AIM: To perform a systematic review summarizing evidence for efficacy of systemic and endoscopic intralesional medical therapy in established small bowel strictures in adult CD patients. METHODS: A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Scopus was conducted. Primary outcomes were rates of surgical resection and repeat endoscopic dilation. Pooled event rates from random effects models across studies with 95% confidence intervals were reported. RESULTS: Eleven studies describing systemic medical therapy and eight studies of intralesional injection were included. One randomized controlled trial (RCT) each for systemic therapy and intrastricture injection were identified. Only observational studies were found for systemic biologic therapies, which exclusively included tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists, while intralesional therapies all involved corticosteroids except for one study that evaluated infliximab. Pooled event rates for surgical resection after systemic and intralesional therapy were 27.6% (95% CI: 18.4%−39.3%) and 18.5% (95% CI: 8.3–36.2%), respectively over a median follow up of 23 months (range 5.5–105.8), and 21.8 months (range 5–47). Risk of repeat endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) in those with intralesional therapy was 58.3% (95% CI: 36.6–77.3%) over a median follow up of 21.8 months (range 5–47). CONCLUSIONS: TNF antagonists are the preferred therapy for patients with stricturing small bowel CD. Data is lacking for ustekinumab and vedolizumab. No endoscopic intralesional medications provided a clear benefit for prevention of repeat EBD or surgery.

Objectives Healthcare organizations need to rapidly adapt to new technology, policy changes, evolving payment strategies, and other environmental changes. We report on the development and application of a structured methodology to support technology and process improvement in healthcare organizations, Systematic Iterative Organizational Diagnostics (SIOD). SIOD was designed to evaluate clinical work practices, diagnose technology and workflow issues, and recommend potential solutions. Materials and Methods SIOD consists of five stages: (1) Background Scan, (2) Engagement Building, (3) Data Acquisition, (4) Data Analysis, and (5) Reporting and Debriefing. Our team applied the SIOD approach in two ambulatory clinics and an integrated ambulatory care center and used SIOD components during an evaluation of a large-scale health information technology transition. Results During the initial SIOD application in two ambulatory clinics, five major analysis themes were identified, grounded in the data: putting patients first, reducing the chaos, matching space to function, technology making work harder, and staffing is more than numbers. Additional themes were identified based on SIOD application to a multidisciplinary clinical center. The team also developed contextually grounded recommendations to address issues identified through applying SIOD. Discussion The SIOD methodology fills a problem identification gap in existing process improvement systems through an emphasis on issue discovery, holistic clinic functionality, and inclusion of diverse perspectives. SIOD can diagnose issues where approaches as Lean, Six Sigma, and other organizational interventions can be applied. Conclusion The complex structure of work and technology in healthcare requires specialized diagnostic strategies to identify and resolve issues, and SIOD fills this need.

Background Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in Canada. They are effective for several upper GI-disorders, have a very favorable safety profile and therefore there are few barriers to prescribing. Concern about overuse of PPIs has been growing. Many patients do not need long term treatment. Patients starting PPI should receive short term therapy (e.g. 8 weeks) and if they respond the need for long term therapy needs to be determined. The usual starting dose is once a day for most indications. Evidence suggests a lack of ongoing indication for PPI in 40–55% of primary care patients.There are economic implications of overuse of PPIs. Public drug spending on PPIs in Canada totaled $288.3 million of $13.5 billion spent in 2017. Aims To analyze prescribing data for all PPI prescriptions in Alberta for the years 2017–18 and 2018–19 and 2019–2020, to document number of prescriptions >60 days, the number of new versus repeat prescriptions, proportion of new prescriptions at a greater than 1x daily dose, the proportion of prescriptions written by primary care physicians and to estimate the number of prescriptions targetted for deprescribing. Methods Data were obtained anonymously from the Pharmaceutical Information Network (PIN) database from community based pharmacies in Alberta. PPIs were identified using DIN numbers. Prescribed dose and duration were obtained, as well as data on repeat prescriptions. The number of prescriptions that could be targeted for deprescribing was also estimated. Results The results are shown in table 1. More than 10% of the population receives a prescription each year. Of these 25–31% were new prescriptions and 69–75% were refills. The percentage of patients who were prescribed PPIs for more than 60 days was 26–28%. Furthermore, 23% of all prescriptions had a defined daily dosage greater than the recommended standard dose of once a day therapy for most indications.75% of all prescriptions are written by family physicians. Conclusions Prescription rates of PPIs are very high in Alberta and 75% of patients are on longer term therapy. There likely is significant overprescribing of PPIs, estimated to be up to 40% of patients filling PPI prescriptions in Alberta. This represents a significant avoidable medication and system burden and patient costs. The starting dose of new prescriptions is also high, despite the fact that for most indications the daily dose should be 1x a day. A 20% reduction in prescribing would save at least $ 9 million in Alberta. A deprescribing project has been initiated by the Digestive Health Strategic Clinical Network, a multi-stakeholder network, which addresses important GI issues in Alberta. Funding Agencies None

BACKGROUND: Point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS), performed by a gastroenterologist, provides safe and convenient imaging allowing for immediate clinical decision in Crohn's disease. The minimum training required to gain competency, its accuracy and clinical utility requires evaluation. METHODS: In this pilot study, Crohn's disease activity and extent were assessed using POCUS (performed by a single gastroenterologist following the completion of 200 supervised scans), magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) and ileo‐colonoscopy. The presence of complications was assessed by POCUS and MRE. Accuracy of POCUS was analysed with respect to MRE and ileo‐colonoscopy. Agreement between modalities was assessed using kappa coefficient. RESULTS: Forty‐two patients had a POCUS paired with MRE. Thirty‐eight patients had a POCUS paired with ileo‐colonoscopy. When compared to MRE, POCUS was accurate in the assessment of disease activity (sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 61.1%, ROC 0.74), extent (sensitivity 77.8%, specificity 83.3%, ROC 0.81) and complications (sensitivity 85.7%, specificity 94.3%, ROC 0.90). Agreement between POCUS and MRE was moderate (kappa estimates 0.50, P

Objective To develop and evaluate an electronic tool that collects interval history and incorporates it into a provider summary note. Methods A parent-facing online before-visit questionnaire (BVQ) collected information from parents and caregivers of pediatric diabetes patients prior to a clinic encounter. This information was related to interval history and perceived self-management barriers. The BVQ generated a summary note that providers could paste in their own documentation. Parents also completed postvisit experience questionnaires. We assessed the BVQs perceived usefulness to parents and providers and compared provider documentation content and length pre- and post-BVQ rollout. We interviewed providers regarding their experiences with the system-generated note. Results Seventy-three parents of diabetic children were recruited and completed the BVQ. A total of 79% of parents stated that the BVQ helped with visit preparation and 80% said it improved perceived quality of visits. All 16 participating providers reviewed BVQs prior to patient encounters and 100% considered the summary beneficial. Most providers (81%) desired summaries less than 1 week old. A total of 69% of providers preferred the prose version of the summary; however, 75% also viewed the bulleted version as preferable for provider review. Analysis of provider notes revealed that BVQs increased provider documentation of patients' adherence and barriers. We observed a 50% reduction in typing by providers to document interval histories. Providers not using summaries typed an average of 137 words (standard deviation [SD]: 74) to document interval history compared with 68 words [SD 47] typed with BVQ use. Discussion Providers and parents of children with diabetes appreciated the use of previsit, parent-completed BVQs that automatically produced provider documentation. Despite the BVQ redistributing work from providers to parents, its use was acceptable to both groups. Conclusion Parent-completed questionnaires on the patient's behalf that generate provider documentation encourage communication between parents and providers regarding disease management and reduce provider workload.

Objective Given widespread excitement around predictive analytics and the proliferation of machine learning algorithms that predict outcomes, a key next step is understanding how this information is—or should be—communicated with patients. Materials and Methods We conducted a scoping review informed by PRISMA-ScR guidelines to identify current knowledge and gaps in this domain. Results Ten studies met inclusion criteria for full text review. The following topics were represented in the studies, some of which involved more than 1 topic: disease prevention (N = 5/10, 50%), treatment decisions (N = 5/10, 50%), medication harms reduction (N = 1/10, 10%), and presentation of cardiovascular risk information (N = 5/10, 50%). A single study included 6- and 12-month clinical outcome metrics. Discussion As predictive models are increasingly published, marketed by industry, and implemented, this paucity of relevant research poses important gaps. Published studies identified the importance of (1) identifying the most effective source of information for patient communications; (2) contextualizing risk information and associated design elements based on users’ needs and problem areas; and (3) understanding potential impacts on risk factor modification and behavior change dependent on risk presentation. Conclusion An opportunity remains for researchers and practitioners to share strategies for effective selection of predictive algorithms for clinical practice, approaches for educating clinicians and patients in effectively using predictive data, and new approaches for framing patient-provider communication in the era of artificial intelligence.

Aim To detect the frequency, diagnostic and prognostic significance of 11q23/MLL rearrangements and to determine the chromosomes that are most frequently involved in 11q23/MLL abnormalities in adult acute leukemia (AL). Materials and methods Cytogenetic investigations of bone marrow and/or peripheral blood cells from 140 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 57 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were performed. The methods of conventional cytogenetics (GTG-banding) and fluorescence in situ hybridization were used. Results Chromosomal abnormalities in leukemia cells were found by conventional cytogenetic methods in 80 (57%) and 37 (65%) adult patients with AML and ALL, respectively. 11q23/MLL rearrangements were found in 7 (5%) and 8 (14%) patients with AML and ALL, respectively. Among them, 8 (53.4%) patients had translocations, 2 (13.3%) - had deletions and 5 (33.3%) patients had trisomies or tetrasomies of chromosome 11. With respect to the distribution of partner chromosomes involved in 11q23/MLL translocations chromosome 4 was found to participate in 3 (37.5%) cases of 11q23/MLL translocations, 9 - in 2 (25%) cases and chromosomes 10, 14 and non-identified chromosome were involved in 1 (12.5%) case each. Nine patients (60%), besides abnormal ones, had 9-86% normal metaphases in their karyotypes. Of 15 patients with 11q23/MLL rearrangements, 5 (33%) patients had only 11q23/MLL rearrangements, whereas other 10 (67%) - had additional cytogenetic abnormalities, besides 11q23/MLL rearrangements. Conclusions Chromosomal abnormalities of various kinds were found in 57% and 65% adult patients with AML and ALL, respectively. The frequency of 11q23/MLL rearrangements in patients with AML and ALL was 5% and 14%, respectively. Since AL patients with 11q23/MLL rearrangements are attributed to cytogenetic categories of AL with a poor or intermediate risk prognosis, cytogenetic methods should be included in the standard examination of AL patients for diagnosis, prognosis and selection of the optimal treatment strategy.

Background: In order to control the treatment of haemophilia patients, classical coagulation methods (APTT, FVIII (IX)) and global tests are used. One of the tests for a comprehensive coagulation assessment is thromboelastography (TEG), which can provide immediate results and reflect the hemostatic status of the patient during therapy. Some of the parameters obtained from the TEG can be compared with the coagulation tests since they describe similar processes of coagulation. Purpose: To carry out a correlation analysis of TEG parameters with coagulation test parameters to determine the role of TEG in the control of prophylactic treatment and the development of inhibitors in patients with severe haemophilia A. Materials and methods: 9 haemophilia A patients were treated with 45 ± 5 IU/kg of FVIII of body weight twice a week prophylactically an incremental recovery test (IR) at a dose of 60 ± 5 IU/kg body weight was performed. Prior to and after administration, TEG was performed and the PT, APTT, fibrinogen, FVIII, FVIII:Ag, vWF:Ag and the platelet count were measured. The possible dependencies of 10 TEG parameters (R, K, α-Angle, MA, TMA, SI, SP, G, LY30, TPI/c) and coagulation tests results were analyzed. Results: Significant direct correlation of the R and SP on the PT and APTT was found (r > 0.71) prior to the administration of the FVIII concentrate. The negative average correlation between R and FVIII:Ag (r = ‑0.56) was established. The elongation of the PT and APTT and the decrease in the activity of FVIII:Ag causes a decrease in the total hemostatic potential of the SI in the direction of hypocoagulation (r = 0.75). Prior to administration of the calculated dose, the concentration of MA, TMA and α-Angel inclination strongly and directly depends on the level of vWF:Ag and platelet count (in all cases r > 0.7). After administration of the FVIII concentrate in haemophilia A patients, a significant positive correlation between the response time R and the APTT (r = 0.64) was found. The growth of the CІ coagulation index is associated with an increase in the level of FVIII: Ag (r = 0.75) and a shortening of the APTT (r = -0.76). Other dependencies between TEG parameters and hemostatic tests have not been established. Conclusion: Correlation of TEG parameters and results of traditional coagulation tests characterized similar processes of coagulation and was revealed in haemophilia A patients on prophylactic treatment. For R, SI, SP depending on the values of the PT, APTT, FVIII: Ag, the end point is coagulation. MA, TMA, α-Angel depend on the level of vWF: Ag and platelet count which reflects the initiation of haemostasis and the strength of clot. TEG fully reflects the changes in hemostasis, so thromboelastography can be successfully applied to control the treatment and the development of FVIII (IX) inhibitors in hemophilia patients.

Background Community engagement is increasingly recognized as a valuable tool in clinical and translational research; however, the impact of engagement is not fully understood. No standard nomenclature yet exists to clearly define how research changes when community stakeholders are engaged across the research spectrum. This severely limits our ability to assess the value of community engagement in research. To address this gap, we developed a taxonomy for characterizing and classifying changes in research due to community engagement. Methods Using an iterative process, we (a) identified areas of potential impact associated with community engagement from author experience, (b) categorized these in taxonomic bins based on research stages, (c) conducted semi‐structured interviews with researchers and community stakeholders, (d) validated the codebook in a sample dataset and (e) refined the taxonomy based on the validation. Community stakeholders were involved in every step of the process including as members of the primary study team. Results The final taxonomy catalogues changes into eleven domains corresponding to research phases. Each domain includes 2‐4 dimensions depicting concepts within the domain's scope and, within each dimension, 2‐10 elements labelling activities through which community engagement could change research. Conclusions Community engagement has great potential to enhance clinical and translational research. This taxonomy provides a common vocabulary and framework for understanding the impact of community engagement and suggests metrics for assessing the value of community engagement in research.

Aim Trends in surgical rates for Crohn's disease (CD) in the biological era are controversial. We aim to assess modern trends in the formation rates of surgical stomas. Method Population-based surveillance in the Calgary Health Zone (CHZ), Canada, was conducted between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2011, using the Discharge Abstract Database to identify adult patients with CD admitted to hospital and treated with surgical stoma formation (n = 545). Annual stoma incidence was calculated by dividing the number of incident stomas by the prevalence of CD in the CHZ. Time trend analysis of the stoma-formation rate was performed, expressed as annual percentage change (APC) with 95% CI. Stoma-formation rates were stratified according to procedure (emergency vs elective) and duration of stoma [temporary (reversed within 2 years of formation) vs permanent]. Results The overall rate of stoma formation between 2002 and 2011 showed a downwards trend, of a mean of 5.2% (95% CI: -8.5 to -1.8) per year, from a rate of 2.30 stomas/100 person-years (PY) in 2002 to 1.51 stomas/100 PY in 2011. The rate of emergency stoma formation decreased significantly from 2002 to 2011 (mean APC = -9.4%; 95% CI: -15.6 to -2.8), while the rate of elective ostomies essentially showed no change (mean APC = -0.9%; 95% CI: -5.3 to 3.8). The rate of temporary stoma formation decreased significantly, by 4.6% (95% CI: -7.3 to -1.8) per year, while permanent stoma formation was stable (APC = 1.0%; 95% CI: -4.0 to +6.3). Conclusion A reduction in the overall rate of stoma formation in CD has been driven by fewer emergency stomas, although rates of permanent stoma have remained stable.

Background Intestinal ultrasound [IUS] is a promising and non-invasive cross-sectional imaging modality in the diagnosis and monitoring of ulcerative colitis [UC]. Unlike endoscopy, where standardized scoring for evaluation of disease activity is widely used, scoring for UC with IUS is currently unavailable. Therefore, we conducted a study to assess the reliability of IUS in UC among expert sonographists in order to identify robust parameters. Methods Thirty patients with both clinically active [25] and quiescent [five] UC were included. Six expert sonographers first agreed upon key IUS parameters and grading, including bowel wall thickness [BWT], colour Doppler signal [CDS], inflammatory fat [i-fat], loss of bowel wall stratification [BWS], loss of haustrations and presence of lymph nodes. Thirty video-recorded cases were blindly reviewed. Results Inter-observer agreement was almost perfect for BWT (intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.96) and substantial for CDS [κ = 0.63]. Agreement was moderate for presence of lymph nodes [κ = 0.41] and fair for presence of i-fat [κ = 0.36], BWS [κ = 0.24] and loss of haustrations [κ = 0.26]. Furthermore, there was substantial agreement for presence of disease activity on IUS [κ = 0.77] and almost perfect agreement for disease severity [ICC: 0.93]. Most individual parameters showed a strong association with IUS disease activity as measured by the six readers. Conclusion IUS is a reliable imaging modality to assess disease activity and severity in UC. Important individual parameters such as BWT and CDS are reliable and could be incorporated in a future UC scoring index. Standardized acquisition and assessment of UC utilizing IUS with established reliability is important to expand the use of IUS globally.

Background Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) globally. The disease is complicated with an increased risk of STIs, infertility, adverse pregnancy outcome and postoperative infections. We evaluated the prevalence of trichomoniasis among women of childbearing age in Oyo state, South-western Nigeria. Methods This cross-sectional community-based study included a total of 222 women recruited from both urban and rural areas of two randomly selected Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Oyo State, South-western Nigeria. Pelvic examinations for signs of STIs were carried out on both symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. High vaginal swabs were collected from the sides of the vaginal wall to screen for the presence of sexually transmitted organisms. These swabs were subjected to DNA extraction using Quick-DNA mini Prep ZYMO kits. The extracted DNAs were analysed by CFX-96 Real-time PCR using the AllplexTM Assay system (Seegene, Seoul, Korea). Results The mean age of the participants was 37.0 years ± 9.0 (range 18–55), 37.8% (84/222) were in their thirties and 80.6% were married. Most of them (45.9%) were educated to the tertiary level and 53.6% lived in urban areas. The mean calculated body mass index (BMI) was 26.9 ± 5.5 (Range 14.7 – 46.6) and 65.8% were obese or grossly obese. At the time of enrolment, 106 (47.7%) were asymptomatic. Trichomonas vaginalis was the commonest organisms detected (36/222, 16.2%), followed by Ureaplasma parvum (26/222, 11.7%), Mycoplasma hominis (16/222, 7.2%), U. urealyticum (11/222, 5.0%) and Mycoplasma genitalium infection (0.5%). The prevalence of Trichomoniasis was commoner among asymptomatic participants (19/222, 17.9%/17/222, 14.9%), though not statistically significant (OR = 0.8 (0.4–1.6) P>0.05, ). Conclusion Routine testing for T. vaginalis infection is advocated in all women seeking care for genital-related diseases, in addition to screening for T. vaginalis in women at high risk of STI.

Background The data visualization literature asserts that the details of the optimal data display must be tailored to the specific task, the background of the user, and the characteristics of the data. The general organizing principle of a concept-oriented display is known to be useful for many tasks and data types.Objectives In this project, we used general principles of data visualization and a co-design process to produce a clinical display tailored to a specific cognitive task, chosen from the anesthesia domain, but with clear generalizability to other clinical tasks. To support the work of the anesthesia-in-charge (AIC) our task was, for a given day, to depict the acuity level and complexity of each patient in the collection of those that will be operated on the following day. The AIC uses this information to optimally allocate anesthesia staff and providers across operating rooms.Methods We used a co-design process to collaborate with participants who work in the AIC role. We conducted two in-depth interviews with AICs and engaged them in subsequent input on iterative design solutions.Results Through a co-design process, we found (1) the need to carefully match the level of detail in the display to the level required by the clinical task, (2) the impedance caused by irrelevant information on the screen such as icons relevant only to other tasks, and (3) the desire for a specific but optional trajectory of increasingly detailed textual summaries.Conclusion This study reports a real-world clinical informatics development project that engaged users as co-designers. Our process led to the user-preferred design of a single binary flag to identify the subset of patients needing further investigation, and then a trajectory of increasingly detailed, text-based abstractions for each patient that can be displayed when more information is needed.

Treatment targets of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) have evolved over the last decade. Goals of therapy consisting of symptom control and steroid sparing have shifted to control of disease activity with endoscopic remission being an important endpoint. Unfortunately, this requires ileocolonoscopy, an invasive procedure. Biomarkers [C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (FCP)] have emerged as surrogates for endoscopic remission and disease activity, but also have limitations. Despite this evolution, we must not lose sight that CD involves transmural inflammation, not fully appreciated with ileocolonoscopy. Therefore, transmural assessment of disease activity by cross-sectional imaging, in particular with magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) and intestinal ultrasonography (IUS), is vital to fully understand disease control. Bowel-wall thickness (BWT) is the cornerstone in assessment of transmural inflammation and BWT normalization, with or without bloodflow normalization, the key element demonstrating resolution of transmural inflammation, namely transmural healing (TH) or transmural remission (TR). In small studies, achievement of TR has been associated with improved long-term clinical outcomes, including reduced hospitalization, surgery, escalation of treatment, and a decrease in clinical relapse over endoscopic remission alone. This review will focus on the existing literature investigating the concept of TR or residual transmural disease and its relation to other existing treatment targets. Current data suggest that TR may be the next logical step in the evolution of treatment targets.

Study Objectives: The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic placed unprecedented strain on the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) in health care settings, particularly the emergency department (ED) Innovative strategies were needed for PPE conservation Our ED deployed electronic PPE (ePPE) - a telehealth approach to conduct medical screening exams (MSEs) of COVID-19-suspected patients As part of our plan to scale this intervention, we sought to evaluate provider perceptions of ePPE-based MSEs Methods: We conducted a qualitative analysis at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN Emergency clinicians were identified through use of structured ePPE documentation elements in the EHR Patients who received ePPE-based MSEs included English-speaking adults with fever or respiratory symptoms (inclusion criteria: age 94%;RR < 20;HR < 110;no cardiovascular, respiratory, or immunosuppressive history) We invited providers to participate in semi-structured video interviews (Zoom, San Jose, CA) A Likert scale between 1 [Not at all effective] and 5 [Extremely effective] was used to gauge perceived ePPE effectiveness We recorded and transcribed interviews, subsequently extracting then encoding notable excerpts using Dedoose (SocioCultural Research Consultants, Los Angeles, CA) Thematic analysis was performed using intervention characteristics from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): intervention source, evidence strength and quality, relative advantage, adaptability, trialability, complexity, design quality and packaging, and cost Results: We identified 18 clinicians who documented ePPE use On review, 2 never used ePPE and 5 only supervised other clinicians who used ePPE Of the remaining 11, we interviewed 7 attending physicians and 1 physician assistant between 5/15/20 and 6/5/20 Providers gave ePPE a mean effectiveness score of 4 2 (SD 0 53) Identified advantages included improved patient and provider safety, PPE conservation, and improved patient-provider communication The primary perceived limitation was inability to auscultate the lungs While noting the risk of missed alternate diagnoses (eg, heart failure), providers asserted that video-based history-taking and respiratory exam sufficed for low-acuity patients and that auscultation’s absence was unlikely to change management Beyond MSEs, providers used ePPE for patient reassessment and counseling, as well as to facilitate supervision Many emphasized ePPE’s flexibility: “If I do pick up on a few things…I can always, sort of, abandon [ePPE] and go in and do my exam ” Barriers to use included potential for negative patient perceptions, poor audio quality, difficulty incorporating an interpreter, and workflow challenges related to staff coordination Clinicians revealed that many ePPE encounters were not fully documented, suggesting ePPE use may be underrepresented in this study Conclusion: In this trial implementation of ePPE, we found that ED clinicians perceived ePPE as an effective and useful technique for MSEs of COVID-19-suspected patients The benefits largely outweighed the disadvantages, particularly in the low-acuity population Our study may have been limited by early adoption from clinicians favorable to such technology, and future work should examine perceptions among clinicians with varying degrees of technology comfort

Functional bowel disorders (FBDs) are the most common gastrointestinal problems managed by physicians. We aimed to assess the burden of chronic symptomatic FBDs on ambulatory care delivery in the United States and evaluate patterns of treatment.Data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were used to estimate annual rates and associated costs of ambulatory visits for symptomatic irritable bowel syndrome, chronic functional abdominal pain, constipation, or diarrhea. The weighted proportion of visits associated with pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic (stress/mental health, exercise, diet counseling) interventions were calculated, and predictors of treatment strategy were evaluated in multivariable multinomial logistic regression.From 2007-2015, approximately 36.9 million (95% CI, 31.4-42.4) weighted visits in patients of non-federally employed physicians for chronic symptomatic FBDs were sampled. There was an annual weighted average of 2.7 million (95% CI, 2.3-3.2) visits for symptomatic irritable bowel syndrome/chronic abdominal pain, 1.0 million (95% CI, 0.8-1.2) visits for chronic constipation, and 0.7 million (95% CI, 0.5-0.8) visits for chronic diarrhea. Pharmacologic therapies were prescribed in 49.7% (95% CI, 44.7-54.8) of visits compared to nonpharmacologic interventions in 19.8% (95% CI, 16.0-24.2) of visits (P.001). Combination treatment strategies were more likely to be implemented by primary care physicians and in patients with depression or obesity. The direct annual cost of ambulatory clinic visits alone for chronic symptomatic FBDs is approximately US$358 million (95% CI, 233-482 million).The management of chronic symptomatic FBDs is associated with considerable health care resource use and cost. There may be an opportunity to improve comprehensive FBD management because fewer than 1 in 5 ambulatory visits include nonpharmacologic treatment strategies.

First recognized in December 2019, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID19) was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. To date, the most utilized definition of 'most at risk' for COVID19 morbidity and mortality has focused on biological susceptibility to the virus. This paper argues that this dominant biomedical definition has neglected the 'fundamental social causes' of disease, constraining the effectiveness of prevention and mitigation measures; and exacerbating COVID19 morbidity and mortality for population groups living in marginalizing circumstances. It is clear - even at this early stage of the pandemic - that inequitable social conditions lead to both more infections and worse outcomes. Expanding the definition of 'most at risk' to include social factors is critical to implementing equitable interventions and saving lives. Prioritizing populations with social conditions is necessary for more effective control of the epidemic in its next phase; and should become standard in the planning for, and prevention and mitigation of all health conditions. Reversing disparities and health inequities is only possible through an expansion of our 'most-at-risk' definition to also include social factors.

Information technology increasingly figures into the activities of health-care workers, patients, and their informal caregivers. The growing intersection of anthropology and health informatics is reviewed, a field dedicated to the science of using data, information, and knowledge to improve human health and the delivery of health-care services. Health informatics as a discipline wrestles with complex issues of information collection, classification, and presentation to patients and working clinical personnel. Anthropologists are well-suited as collaborators in this work. Topics of collaborative work include the construction of health and illness, patient-focused research, the organization and delivery of health-care services, the design and implementation of electronic health records, and ethics, power, and surveillance. The application of technology to social roles, practices, and power relations that is inherent in health informatics provides a rich source of empirical data to advance anthropological theory and methods.

ObjectiveUsing the case of barcode medication administration (BCMA), our objective is to describe the challenges nurses face when informatics tools are not designed to accommodate the full complexity of their work.Materials and MethodsAutonomy is associated with nurse satisfaction and quality of care. BCMA organizes patient information and verifies medication administration. However, it presents challenges to nurse autonomy. Qualitative fieldwork, including observations of everyday work and interviews, was conducted during the implementation of BCMA in a large academic medical center. Fieldnotes and interview transcripts were coded and analyzed to describe nurses’ perspectives on medication safety.ResultsNurses adopt orienting frames to structure work routines and require autonomy to ensure safe task completion. Nurses exerted agency by trusting their own judgment over system information when the system did not consider workload complexity. Our results indicate that the system’s rigidity clashed with adaptive needs embodied by nurses’ orienting frames.DiscussionDespite the fact that the concept of nurse as knowledge worker is foundational to informatics, nurses may be perceived as doers, rather than knowledge workers. In practice, nurses not only make decisions, but also engage in highly complex task-related work that is not well supported by process-oriented information technology tools.ConclusionsInformation technology developers and healthcare organization managers should engage and better understand nursing work in order to develop technological and social systems to support it.

The purpose of this study was to inform a community-engaged partnership concerned with mental health in their community by exploring factors associated with depression among a sample of residents in a micropolitan city in a rural state. Social and contextual factors are important influences on depression risk, but most research in this area has focused on urban settings. Micropolitan areas (midsize rural communities centered around a population core of 10,000-50,000 people) are home to the majority of rural residents and this specific social and economic context may have unique influences on depression risk. Using a random-digit-dial sampling method, adult residents completed a phone interview that assessed a range of health behaviors and measures of quality of life, social support, neighborhood context, and discrimination (n = 1101). Results indicated that being male, having a partner, and being a high school graduate protected against moderate to severe depression, whereas inadequate social support, perceived unfair treatment, and lower neighborhood cohesion were associated with moderate to severe depression. Increases in poverty were significantly associated with greater odds of reporting moderate to severe depression. This study demonstrated that factors associated with depression are similar factors in rural and urban areas, however, the prevalence of these factors may differ along the rural-urban continuum, and should be considered when developing and implementing mental health prevention and control interventions.

Purpose To synthesize existing observational evidence to identify disparities in stage at breast cancer diagnosis between foreign- and native-born women. We hypothesized immigrant women would be less likely than natives to be diagnosed at a localized stage. Methods Systematic searches for studies detailing stage at breast cancer diagnosis by birthplace in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science yielded 11 relevant cohort studies from six countries. Odds ratios were pooled using random effects models. Results Foreign-born women were 12% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a localized stage than natives (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82–0.95). A similar disadvantage was observed in immigrants from Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and developing or in transition nations; immigrants from developed countries experienced the least disparity. Conclusions This meta-analysis confirmed the presence of significant differences in breast cancer stage at diagnosis as per nativity. Across diverse immigrant groups and host countries, foreign-born women were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with localized breast cancer than native women; the magnitude of the disparity varied by region and economic condition of immigrants’ birthplace.

Bowel ultrasound (US) is accurate for assessing bowel inflammation and complications in Crohn disease. Additionally, contrast-enhanced US provides a quantitative, objective measurement of inflammatory activity in inflammatory bowel disease, and shear wave elastography predicts the stiffness of bowel, an increase of which suggests less response to medical therapy, often necessitating surgery. Overall, bowel US is an excellent, safe, and repeatable choice for routine surveillance and for urgent imaging. We describe an approach to evaluating inflammatory bowel disease and review its features on standard grayscale US with Doppler imaging and show how contrast-enhanced US and shear wave elastography can distinguish between inflammatory and fibrostenotic bowel.

Increasingly, patients without clinical indications are undergoing genomic tests. The purpose of this study was to assess their appreciation and comprehension of their test results and their clinicians&rsquo, reactions. We conducted 675 surveys with participants from the Vanderbilt Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) cohort. We interviewed 36 participants: 19 had received positive results, and 17 were self-identified racial minorities. Eleven clinicians who had patients who had participated in eMERGE were interviewed. A further 21 of these clinicians completed surveys. Participants spontaneously admitted to understanding little or none of the information returned to them from the eMERGE study. However, they simultaneously said that they generally found testing to be &ldquo, helpful,&rdquo, even when it did not inform their health care. Primary care physicians expressed discomfort in being asked to interpret the results for their patients and described it as an undue burden. Providing genetic testing to otherwise healthy patients raises a number of ethical issues that warrant serious consideration. Although our participants were enthusiastic about enrolling and receiving their results, they express a limited understanding of what the results mean for their health care. This fact, coupled the clinicians&rsquo, concern, urges greater caution when educating and enrolling participants in clinically non-indicated testing.

Background and Aims Maintaining disease remission improves outcomes for pregnant women with Crohn’s disease (CD). As symptoms may correlate poorly with disease activity in the gravid state, we investigated the utility of bowel sonography during pregnancy to assess disease activity. Methods We conducted a prospective observational cohort study of pregnant women with CD undergoing bowel sonography between July 1, 2012, and December 1, 2016. Clinically active disease was defined using standardized clinical indices (Harvey Bradshaw Index >4 for active disease). Sonographic findings were graded as inactive (normal, mild) or active (moderate, severe) by expert radiologists. Results There were 91 pregnancies in 82 CD patients. Symptoms were present in 12 pregnancies; however, eight (67%) had sonographic findings of inactive disease, and escalation of therapy was not initiated. Conversely, sonographically active disease in seven asymptomatic pregnancies resulted in four women escalating therapy. The remaining three women declined escalation of therapy, one had a miscarriage, and the other two women had persistently active disease on sonography and endoscopy at one-year postpartum. Conclusions Bowel ultrasound may detect subclinical inflammation in asymptomatic pregnant women with CD and stratify CD activity in symptomatic patients. Therefore, bowel sonography should be considered as a useful adjunct for the assessment of the pregnant woman with Crohn’s disease.

Background Early warning systems lack robust evidence that they improve patients' outcomes, possibly because of their limitation of predicting binary rather than time-to-event outcomes. Objectives To compare the prediction accuracy of 2 statistical modeling strategies (logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression) and 2 machine learning strategies (random forest and random survival forest) for in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest. Methods Retrospective cohort study with prediction model development from deidentified electronic health records at an urban academic medical center. Results The classification models (logistic regression and random forest) had statistical recall and precision similar to or greater than those of the time-to-event models (Cox proportional hazards regression and random survival forest). However, the time-to-event models provided predictions that could potentially better indicate to clinicians whether and when a patient is likely to experience cardiopulmonary arrest. Conclusions As early warning scoring systems are refined, they must use the best analytical methods that both model the underlying phenomenon and provide an understandable prediction.

Background: The significant role of lay caregivers has been explored in chronic and acute illnesses. In pregnancy, caregivers’ (eg, the baby’s father, friends, and family) roles in promoting the health of the mother and baby are not well understood. Objective: We characterize the activities and roles of pregnancy caregivers and offer opportunities for engaging this important group. Method: We conducted interviews with 29 pregnancy caregivers. Interview transcripts were analyzed inductively, resulting in a coding scheme of actions and roles that pregnancy caregivers perform. Results: The most common actions and roles included searching for information (97%), accompanying patients to medical appointments (69%), and being a source of emotional support (76%). Identified actions and roles fit a patient work framework, including work types identified by Corbin and Strauss: illness, everyday life, biographical, articulation, and invisible. Conclusion: The patient work framework can be employed to describe the activities and roles of pregnancy caregivers. We have contributed new insights into the experiences of pregnancy caregivers and recommendations for educational and technological interventions.

Objectives To build effective applications, technology designers must understand consumer health needs. Pregnancy is a common health condition, and expectant families have unanswered questions. This study examined consumer health-related needs in pregnant women and caregivers and determined the types of needs that were not met. Materials and Methods We enrolled pregnant women Results Seventy-one pregnant women and 29 caregivers participated and reported 1054 needs, 28% unmet, and 49% partially met. Need types were 66.2% informational, 15.9% logistical, 8.9% social, 8.6% medical, and 0.3% other. Inter-rater reliability was near perfect (κ=0.95, P Discussion Common topics of unmet needs were prognosis, life management, and need for emotional support. For pregnant women, these unmet needs focused around being healthy, childbirth, infant care, and being a good mother; caregivers’ needs involved caring for the mother, the natural course of pregnancy, and life after pregnancy. Conclusion Pregnant women and caregivers have a rich set of health-related needs with many not fully met. Caregivers’ needs differed from those of pregnant women and may not be adequately addressed by resources designed for mothers. Many unmet needs involved stress and life management. Knowledge about consumer health needs can inform the design of better technologies for pregnancy.

Background The demand for gastroenterology (GI) care in Canada outstrips the supply. In the Calgary Zone, a Central Access and Triage (CAT) model is used as a single point of entry for most GI referrals. In collaboration with primary care, clinical care pathways (CCP) were co-developed and implemented in CAT to support care for common GI referrals in the Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH), avoiding specialty consultation/endoscopy. Aims To evaluate the re-referral rate, health outcomes, health system utilization (emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations) and costs avoided for referrals managed in the PCMH. Methods A prospective observational cohort study of patient referrals declined (closed) by CAT for one of seven indications supported with CCPs: chronic abdominal pain, chronic constipation, chronic diarrhea, dyspepsia, reflux disease, Helicobacter pylori, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Patient clinical records were linked to healthcare administrative databases to extract data: CAT, electronic medical records, discharge databases, and physician billing claims. The Pampalon Deprivation Index evaluated socioeconomic status and education level. Costs according to Canadian Institute for Health Information were estimated for healthcare utilization, consultation and endoscopy. Results A total of 3435 referrals were closed for 3274 patients during the study period (July 1, 2018 to May 31, 2020) with dyspepsia being the most common indication (34%). The median age was 45 years, 66% were women and 43% of higher socioeconomic status. Re-referral to GI occurred in 12% leading to 414 endoscopies performed in 348 patients, the majority were normal (93.6%). Two diagnoses of colorectal adenocarcinoma were identified: 1 originally referred for dyspepsia with subsequent colonoscopy for FIT positivity and 1 initially referred for chronic diarrhea but later presented with hematochezia. Over one year, 11% of patients visited an ED yet less than half for the same indication (42.7%, 263/616 visits) with abdominal pain, dyspepsia, and IBS as most common reasons. There were 52 patients with 68 hospitalizations, but only 24% related to GI referral (constipation and abdominal pain). Estimated total costs avoided was $(CA)2,275,344; and with estimated healthcare utilization of $1,440,281, the net costs avoided was $1,477,237. Conclusions Innovative, collaborative strategies aimed to better match supple-demand disparity and improve appropriateness of specialty GI referrals are critical to improving timely patient care. Use of CCPs to support care in the PCMH is safe and reduces costs. Continued development of such supports is important to reduce avoidable healthcare utilization. Funding Agencies Health Innovation Implementation and Spread (HIIS) Fund

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant alterations in the ability to deliver outpatient care to patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including endoscopic evaluation. This has highlighted the need for alternative, accurate, non-invasive strategies to safely assess disease activity. Aims The aim of this study is to describe the impact of point of care intestinal ultrasound (IUS) in a university-based tertiary care IBD urgent access clinic. Methods We prospectively evaluated a comprehensive care pathway which incorporated outpatient sigmoidoscopy and intestinal ultrasound with the purpose of directing further ambulatory clinical care and avoiding hospitalization or hospital-based investigations including endoscopy during the COVID pandemic for patients with established IBD with symptoms suggestive of a disease flare, or those at high risk of a new diagnosis of IBD. Non-invasive markers C Reactive Protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (fCal) were collected where available. Patients were pre-screened for influenza-like illness, as COVID-19 testing was not available for this population during the study period. Substantial management changes were defined as addition of any medications, biologic switch/ optimization, and or referral for surgical consultation. Results Between March 15th and June 30th 2020, a total of 72 patients were seen in the urgent access clinic. All patients were seen within 7 days of referral. The majority were female 57% (41/72) and/ or had Crohn’s disease 65.5% (47/72) (Table 1). Of these, 84.7% (61/72) underwent a substantial management change based on features of active inflammation detected by either IUS alone (53% 38/72) sigmoidoscopy alone (12.5% 9/72) or combination IUS with in-clinic sigmoidoscopy (32% 23/72) in addition to CRP and fCal. Three new diagnoses of IBD were made: one colonic Crohn’s and 2 with ulcerative colitis. One pregnant patient avoided all acute care utilization. Five patients were referred to colorectal surgery for urgent resection including two patients admitted directly for emergent operations. No patients required visits to the emergency department. Furthermore, there have been no unscheduled hospitalizations occurred in this cohort since inception March 23, 2020 til November 15th 2020. Conclusions The implementation of IUS in a centralized, urgent access clinic pathway resulted in efficient and meaningful changes in IBD management while sparing the need for acute care services including ER visits, need for in-hospital endoscopy, and hospitalization. The pandemic highlights the utility of this patient-center tool and supports expansion of wider IUS adoption. Funding Agencies None

Background Fibrostenotic Crohn’s Disease (CD) is a challenging phenotype often leading to surgical resection. Diagnostic imaging is an invaluable tool to diagnose CD strictures. MRE (Magnetic Resonance Enterography) is the most widely used modality for evaluating strictures, but is limited by access and cost. The current definition of strictures is based only on MRE or CT (computed tomography). Strictures are defined as increased bowel wall thickness (BWT), narrowed luminal apposition, and pre-stenotic dilation > 3cm according to CONSTRICT MR/CT expert consensus criteria. However, this definition has not been studied in intestinal US (IUS). IUS is a cost-effective, easily repeatable, and well-tolerated tool shown to have equal accuracy to MRE in diagnosing and monitoring CD. Aims The objective of this study was to assess the utility of identifying strictures with IUS using CONSTRICT definition. Methods In this retrospective pilot study, 30 of 80 CD patients who underwent small bowel resection (gold standard for stricture diagnosis) between 2015–2019 with IUS within 6 months prior to surgery were randomly identified for chart review. IUS was performed in a fasted state without oral contrast. Data extracted included confirmed stricture on resection specimens defined as having fibrosis and prestenotic dilation. Fistulizing disease was excluded. Student’s t-tests, sensitivities, specificities, positive (PNV) and negative predictive values (NPV) were calculated for IUS in detecting strictures. Results Of the 30 CD patients evaluated, 20 patients had fibrostenosis on pathology and IUS reports. Only 40% (8/20) met CONSTRICT criteria for stricture diagnosis on IUS, despite having a stricture on pathology. All patients had elevated BWT and luminal narrowing, but 60% (12/20) did not have prestenotic dilation > 3cm. Mean dilation was 2.9 cm (SD 1.38) and was significantly different from the mean stricture diameter of 1.3cm (SD 0.59 cm, p=0.0001, 95% CI: 0.9–2.2). Mean BWT was 8.7 mm (SD: 2.5, range 5–15) where normal is < 3mm, and mean luminal apposition was 2.3 mm (SD 1.2, range 0.2–5.8mm). IUS has a sensitivity of 95.2% (95% CI: 76.2 - 99.9%), specificity of 66.7% (95% CI: 29.9 - 92.5%), PPV of 87.0% (95% CI: 72.5–94.4), and NPV of 85.7% (95% CI 45.6–97.7%) in detecting strictures when compared to gold standard. Conclusions CONSTRICT criteria for diagnosing fibrostenotic CD on CT/MR may not be applicable to IUS. In this study, only 40% of patients met criteria despite having histologic confirmed strictures. Thus, perhaps additional criteria of stricture diameter < 50% of prestenotic dilation size is most appropriate for IUS. This pilot study provides the initial data to delineate an IUS stricture definition for future validation and to inform both clinical practice and trial design. Funding Agencies None

Evolution of treatment targets in IBD has increased the need for objective monitoring of disease activity to guide therapeutic strategy. Although mucosal healing is the current target of therapy in IBD, endoscopy is invasive, expensive and unappealing to patients. GI ultrasound (GIUS) represents a non-invasive modality to assess disease activity in IBD. It is accurate, cost-effective and reproducible. GIUS can be performed at the point of care without specific patient preparation so as to facilitate clinical decision-making. As compared with ileocolonoscopy and other imaging modalities (CT and MRI), GIUS is accurate in diagnosing IBD, detecting complications of disease including fistulae, strictures and abscesses, monitoring disease activity and detecting postoperative disease recurrence. International groups increasingly recognise GIUS as a valuable tool with paradigm-changing application in the management of IBD; however, uptake outside parts of continental Europe has been slow and GIUS is underused in many countries. The aim of this review is to present a pragmatic guide to the positioning of GIUS in IBD clinical practice, providing evidence for use, algorithms for integration into practice, training pathways and a strategic implementation framework.