Kristin Dellavolpe, BA1, Carole Drexel, PhD1, Amy Kousouros, MS1, Mirna Chehade, MD, MPH2, Bethany Doerfler, MS, RD3, Charlotte Rensberger, MSN, APRN4, Elisa Zizza, 5 1Medlive, Needham Heights, MA; 2Mount Sinai Center for Eosinophilic Disorders, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; 3Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL; 4Bronson Pediatric Gastroenterology Specialists, Kalamazoo, MI; 5Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Arlington, VA Introduction: The treatment landscape for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in young children (≤11 years) has evolved with the expanded FDA approval of a biologic therapy for this younger age group. This advancement reduces reliance on restrictive diets and off-label treatments, expanding evidence-based options for care. Weassessed the impact of online continuing medical education (CME) and patient/caregiver (P/C) education on HCPs’ awareness of pediatric EoE management and P/Cs’ readiness to engage in shared decision-making. Methods: One 60-minute CME session and one 30-minute P/C session were launched live online in November 2024 and made available on-demand for 1 year. Pre/post assessments evaluated knowledge, attitudes, and intended practice changes. Cohort analysis for learning gains was performed among intended HCP learners (allergy/immunology and gastroenterology specialties; n=50). Chi-square tests compared paired responses (P < 0.05; pre/post). Results: As of May 2025, 581 HCPs and 605 P/Cs participated in the programs. Of HCPs, 54% treat patients ≤11 years of age with suspected or confirmed EoE, only 8% of whom were on a biologic therapy. Pre-activity, 81% of HCPs reported satisfaction with symptom improvement, nearly double the rate reported by P/Cs. Post-activity, knowledge gains among intended learners included improved recognition of EoE symptoms (+27%; P< 0.5) and understanding of biologic safety and efficacy data in young children (+7; NS). Other than cost, barriers to biologic use included P/Cs’ reluctance to use an injectable agent or adherence issues (31%), confusion regarding biologic candidacy (15%), and lack of detailed knowledge about biologic agents (12%).
Among P/Cs, 42% reported not being satisfied with their EoE treatment, were unsure, or found it helped a little. Most P/Cs (66%) took the program to learn about EoE treatment. Post-activity, 43% would consider changing treatment and 47% would consider a biologic therapy. Similarly, 77% of HCPs not previously using a biologic said they would consider using it. Discussion: Online education effectively increased readiness to adopt novel EoE therapies for young children among HCPs and P/Cs. The findings suggest disconnects between HCPs and P/Cs in treatment satisfaction and barriers to new treatments, highlighting the need for improved communication to support patient-centered care. (The education only was supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Regeneron Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Sanofi.)
