Prospective Evaluation of the Carbon Footprint and Clinical Utility of Intestinal Bowel Ultrasound Compared to Colonoscopy and Enterography in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease

What this Trial Is About

Healthcare contributes about 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with diagnostic imaging and endoscopic services playing a significant role. Colonoscopy and cross-sectional imaging are essential for diagnosing and monitoring Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD) but are linked to high carbon emissions due to energy use, waste, sterilization, and transportation. Intestinal Bowel Ultrasound (IBUS) is a non-invasive, real-time diagnostic tool gaining validation for assessing disease activity in UC and CD with a lower environmental impact. This research compares the environmental footprint and clinical usefulness of IBUS against traditional imaging methods like colonoscopy for UC patients and CT/MRI enterography for CD patients. The study observes patients undergoing these procedures in real-world clinical care to quantify electricity and water consumption, waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions over a 12-month period. Participants provide consent to include their endoscopy procedures during the study period. Researchers will measure environmental impacts and assess the diagnostic value of IBUS compared to standard imaging. The study runs until December 2026 and aims to support more sustainable follow-up methods for inflammatory bowel disease by monitoring resource use and emissions during routine care.

Prospective Evaluation of the Carbon Footprint and Clinical Utility of IBUS Compared to Colonoscopy and Enterography in UC and CD