Implementation of Billing for Patient Portal Messages as E-visits in a Large Integrated Health System.

Background: Patient-provider communication through the patient portal has markedly increased in recent years. Some health care facilities implemented programs to enable providers to bill for responding to patient-initiated messages that require substantive medical decision making through an e-visit.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of billing eligible patient-initiated portal messages as e-visits using a mixed-methods approach.

The Utility of Patency Capsule in Patients With Crohn's Disease.

Background: Video capsule retention is a complication that can have serious consequences in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). The patency capsule was developed to detect small bowel strictures. The usefulness of patency capsules in patients who do not have evidence of small bowel disease on imaging is uncertain.

Response to Upadacitinib in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Previously Treated with Tofacitinib.

Background And Aims: Upadacitinib is an oral selective Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor approved in the United States for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). However, data regarding its use following prior treatment with the JAK inhibitor tofacitinib is sparse. As such, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of upadacitinib therapy following tofacitinib exposure.

The Effect of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic on Gender and Medical School Diversity in Gastroenterology Fellowship Matching.

Background And Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented changes to the medical field, including the gastroenterology (GI) fellowship application process. This study aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on GI fellowship applications, with a focus on applicants' gender and medical school training type.

Methods: Data from the GI match results for 2018-2022 were collected, including the number and percentage of matched applicants per year, categorized by gender, US medical graduates, international medical graduates (IMGs), and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs).

Single center assessment of the role of Oakland score among patients admitted for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background/objectives: The Oakland score was developed to predict safe discharge in patients who present to the emergency department with lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB). In this study, we retrospectively evaluated if this score can be implemented to assess safe discharge (score ≤ 10) at WellStar Atlanta Medical Center (WAMC).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 108 patients admitted at WAMC from January 1, 2020 to December 30, 2021 was performed.