P1030 Inflammatory Bowel Disease helpline contact trends in a real-world Australasian cohort: Crohn’s Colitis Cure (CCC) data insight’s program

Abstract

Abstract Background For optimal outcomes, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) necessitates lifelong engagement in care. Specialized-IBD-nurse-led helplines improve access to care and reduce associated costs1,2. Despite this evidence, IBD nurses and helplines receive variable funding and little is known about their use across care sites. We therefore analysed IBD-helpline usage in a large, multi-site real-world Australasian cohort. Methods Crohn’s Colitis Care (CCCare), is a cloud-based IBD-specific electronic medical record used in Australia and New Zealand. It includes a "Helpline" tab to support helpline encounter documentation during the point of contact. All entered data feed into an associated, de-identified clinical quality registry (CQR). Helpline-associated data fields, including contact reason and type, were extracted from CCCare’s CQR in November 2023. Data from 6 large adult care sites across Australia and New Zealand were analysed. Results In 2022, a total of 6,717 helpline encounters were documented. There was a roughly equal split in contact type; phone accounting for 50.9% (n=3,416) and email for 49.1% (n=3301). The most common reasons for contact were related to medications (n=2,577; 38.4%), investigations (n=1,719; 25.6%) and clinical (n=1,060; 15.8%). More encounters were seen in 2023 (to date of data extract), with 7,540 helpline entries to date (Figure 1). In 2023, the most common form of patient contact was email (70.3%), with phone contact accounting for only (29.8%). The most common reasons for contact were again related to medications (n=2,577; 31.1%), investigations (n=1,162; 22.0%) and clinical (n=1,439; 19.1%). In both years, helpline activity was lowest in January and February, perhaps corresponding to the Holiday season (southern hemisphere summer). Conclusion A number of helpline entries were recorded across these 2 years, with activity lowest each summer. The data show a shift in the predominant mode of contact from phone to email in 2023, reflecting evolving communication preferences and making scheduling of helpline support easier. 1 - Nicolaides S, Vasudevan A, Van Langenberg D. Inflammatory Bowel Disease Helpline Reduces Subsequent Inpatient Admission Rates. J Crohns Colitis. 2020 Feb 10;14(2):281. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjz141. PMID: 31374121. 2 - Karimi N, Sechi AJ, Harb M, Sawyer E, Williams AJ, Ng W, Connor SJ. The effect of a nurse-led advice line and virtual clinic on inflammatory bowel disease service delivery: an Australian study. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021 Dec 1;33(1S Suppl 1):e771-e776. doi: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000002249. PMID: 34402467.