P0216 Implementing intestinal ultrasound in a private IBD clinic in Latin America: Growth, referral patterns, and clinical integration

Abstract Background Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) has become a key non-invasive tool for assessing inflammation and transmural healing in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, evidence on its clinical integration remains limited, particularly across Latin America. This study aimed to describe the implementation and progressive adoption of IUS within a private IBD unit, evaluating temporal trends in utilisation, patient origin, and referral patterns. Methods A retrospective descriptive analysis was conducted at the Digestive Diseases Research Unit in Panama City, covering all IUS examinations performed between November 2023 and October 2025, categorised in six-month intervals. Variables included the total number of studies, clinical indication classified as IBD or non-IBD, and patient origin categorised as internal referral, external referral, or public-sector collaboration. Descriptive analyses were performed using frequency distributions and relative proportions to assess temporal trends, referral dynamics, and the progressive clinical integration of IUS within IBD care. Results A total of 781 IUS studies were performed, showing consistent growth from 154 to 239 examinations, representing a relative increase of 55%. The proportion of IBD-related cases also rose from 46.8% to 58.6% over the same period. Within the IBD subgroup, the number of examinations nearly doubled, from 72 to 140. External referrals accounted for a modest but stable share, decreasing slightly from 33% to 20%. In comparison, the proportion of public-sector patients expanded from 0% to 24%, reflecting strengthened collaboration between private and public hospitals and improved accessibility of IUS for IBD care in Panama. Conclusion The progressive expansion of IUS use within this private IBD unit demonstrates the feasibility and sustainability of implementing advanced point-of-care imaging outside academic centres. The increasing proportion of IBD-related studies, reaching nearly 60% of all examinations, suggests that IUS has become a core element of treat-to-target strategies in routine care. The growing participation of public-sector patients reflects successful integration between private and public institutions, improving access to real-time, non-invasive monitoring. Further expansion of referral networks and continued educational initiatives may enhance physician engagement and accelerate the adoption of IUS as a standard monitoring tool across IBD care settings in Latin America. Conflict of interest: Rettally, Carlos: No conflict of interest Dr. Orillac, Valeria: No conflict of interest Table 1: Temporal trends in total IUS studies and proportion of IBD cases Figure 1: Evolution of IBD cases by patient referral source