What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess Australian gastroenterologists' attitudes toward intestinal ultrasound and identify barriers to its use in inflammatory bowel disease.

March 21, 2026Open Access

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Examining attitudes to intestinal ultrasound in inflammatory bowel disease: a national survey of Australian gastroenterologists

LCLynna ChenEastern Health LRLeonie Ruddick-CollinsThe University of Queensland YAYoon-Kyo AnThe University of Queensland

Key Points

To assess Australian gastroenterologists' attitudes toward intestinal ultrasound and identify barriers to its use in inflammatory bowel disease.
Conducted a national cross-sectional observational survey.
Distributed an online survey to gastroenterologists and trainees in Australia.
Gathered data from September to December 2024.
122 gastroenterologists participated, with a majority recognizing IUS's clinical utility.
96% viewed IUS as the standard of care in IBD.
Access to IUS was 82%, with limitations in non-metropolitan areas.
High clinical confidence in IUS, particularly among IBD specialists.

Abstract

Introduction: Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is a non-invasive, accurate, and increasingly utilized tool for the assessment and monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Objectives: This Australian survey, endorsed by the Gastroenterology Network of Intestinal Ultrasound (GENIUS), aimed to evaluate clinician attitudes toward IUS and identify barriers to its broader national implementation. Design: National cross-sectional observational study. Methods: An online survey was distributed to adult and pediatric gastroenterologists and trainees across Australia, with data collected between September and December 2024. Results: One hundred twenty-two respondents participated, comprising adult (52%), pediatric (25%), and trainee (23%) gastroenterologists, with two-thirds reporting a subspecialty interest in IBD. Nearly all agreed that IUS has clinical utility in Crohn’s disease (99%) and ulcerative colitis (96%), with 96% considering IUS standard of care in IBD. Clinical confidence in IUS was high (84%), particularly among IBD specialists (95% vs 73%; p < 0.01), though lower than for colonoscopy (98%) and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE; 97%). IUS was also perceived as more resource-efficient than colonoscopy (96%) and MRE (88%). While 82% of respondents had access to IUS, mainly in an outpatient capacity, availability was lower in non-metropolitan locations. Among clinicians without access, almost all agreed that IUS access would improve IBD care; with scarcity of IUS funding and trained personnel cited as barriers. Almost half of the respondents had completed or were undertaking IUS training, with 40% of remaining respondents interested in future training. Conclusion: Australian gastroenterologists widely support IUS in IBD care. Expanding access to IUS requires renewed focus on service development and training initiatives, particularly in underserved areas, and cost-effectiveness studies to support these efforts.

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Examining attitudes to intestinal ultrasound in inflammatory bowel disease: a national survey of Australian gastroenterologists

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Abstract

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