P4916 - Enhancing Awareness of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) Among General/Family Practitioners to Improve Early Recognition and Intervention: Measuring the Impact of Continuing Medical Education

Tamima Ashraf, PhD¹, Shauna Schroeder, MD, MS², Kathryn A. Peterson, MD³, Emily Kitterman, ¹, Aisha Suhail, ¹, Meghan Coulehan, MPH, CHCP¹
1Answers in CME, New York, NY; 2Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ; 3Division of Gastroenterology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT

Introduction: The prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is increasing, however, delays in diagnosis continue to negatively impact patient quality of life. General/family practitioners play a key role in supporting early recognition and management of EoE. To increase awareness of EoE among general/family practitioners, we developed a continued medical education (CME) program aimed at improving their knowledge and competence related to: why it is important to recognize the early signs/symptoms of EoE, when to suspect EoE and refer patients to specialists, and how to be involved in long-term patient management.

Methods: A 6o-minute, CME-certified, interactive symposium titled “Eosinophilic Esophagitis From Symptom Recognition to Long-Term Management: A Comprehensive Plan for Primary Care”, was presented by two gastroenterologists and a patient with EoE at Family Medicine Experience (FMX) Annual Meeting 2024. Learners could participate in three different ways- 1) in person, 2) by attending virtually, or 3) by watching the online (enduring) highlights following the live event. Changes in knowledge and competence were measured using pre- and post-test learner analysis. Intent to change practice and potential patient impact were also measured. Data collection is ongoing.

Results: As of May 29, 2025, a total of 4,315 learners participated in the education, with the leading learner specialties being general/family practitioners (84%). A subset of learners (n=799) completed pre- and post-test assessments. Baseline knowledge was lowest regarding multidisciplinary management and available treatment options for EoE. Post-education, learners demonstrated improvements in knowledge/competence related to: impact of EoE on QoL (12%); strategies for early recognition (10%); impact of available treatment modalities (29%); and multidisciplinary strategies to manage EoE (15%). Of the learners, more than 80% intended to make changes to their practice based on the activity. Based on learners’ self-report of the number of patients seen per week, this program potentially impacted 12,391 patient interactions. More than 40% of learners also expressed interest in receiving further education related to EoE signs/symptoms and management.

Discussion: Our interim findings showed that CME was effective in improving general/family practitioners’ awareness related to symptom recognition, treatment options and multidisciplinary management of EoE. It also identified persisting educational needs and interests among learners.

Disclosures:
Tamima Ashraf indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Shauna Schroeder: EvoEndo – Advisory board/consultancy fees. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. – Advisory board/consultancy fees. Sanofi – Advisory board/consultancy fees.
Kathryn A. Peterson: Adare – Grant/Research Support. AGA – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant, Speakers Bureau. Alladapt – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant. Allakos and Chobani – Grant/Research Support. AstraZeneca – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant, Grant/Research Support. Bristol Meyers Squibb – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant. Celldex – Grant/Research Support. Ellodi – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant. Esocap – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant. Invea – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant. Lucid – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant. Nexeos Bio – has equity. NIH – Grant/Research Support. Peerview – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant, Speakers Bureau. Regeneron – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant, Grant/Research Support. Revolo – Grant/Research Support. Sanofi – Grant/Research Support. Takeda – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant, Speakers Bureau. Uniquity – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant, Speakers Bureau. WebMD – Advisor or Review Panel Member, Consultant, Speakers Bureau.
Emily Kitterman indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Aisha Suhail indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Meghan Coulehan indicated no relevant financial relationships.

Tamima Ashraf, PhD¹, Shauna Schroeder, MD, MS², Kathryn A. Peterson, MD³, Emily Kitterman, ¹, Aisha Suhail, ¹, Meghan Coulehan, MPH, CHCP¹. P4916 - Enhancing Awareness of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) Among General/Family Practitioners to Improve Early Recognition and Intervention: Measuring the Impact of Continuing Medical Education, ACG 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Phoenix, AZ: American College of Gastroenterology.