NASHVILLE, TN / ACCESS Newswire / October 11, 2026 / SideBy Care, which integrates evidence-based behavioral health and nutrition treatment into specialty care, today announced new real-world outcomes data presented at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville. The study found that adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who completed the SideBy Care Program, a 14-week virtual multidisciplinary program ordered by their gastroenterologist, experienced significant improvement in IBS symptom severity and overall symptom relief. The abstract will also published for members in a supplement to the October 2026 issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Disorders of gut-brain interaction such as IBS affect about 4 in 10 U.S. adults and are associated with increased physical and psychological distress. Guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and the Rome Foundation support multidisciplinary care that includes brain-gut behavioral therapy and nutrition, but access to these specialists remains limited in most community GI practices. SideBy Care addresses that gap by providing community gastroenterologists with an in-house multidisciplinary care team that works alongside the gastroenterologist's medical treatment plan.
Key Findings
Among 100 adults with clinically diagnosed IBS who completed the 14-week program:
- 90% reported overall symptom relief on the Subject's Global Assessment (SGA) of Relief
- 71% achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in symptom severity, defined as a reduction of 50 points or more on the IBS Symptom Severity Score (IBS-SSS)
- IBS-SSS scores fell by an average of 87.85 points from baseline (217.45), a statistically significant improvement (p < .0001)
- 94% rated their experience favorably (68% excellent, 26% good)
The program combines cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with nutrition and lifestyle interventions. Patients complete nine virtual brain-gut therapy sessions with a Mind-Gut Specialist (behavioral health therapist), alternating with five sessions with a Registered Dietitian.
"Guidelines tell us that behavioral and nutrition therapies belong in IBS/disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) care, but most community GI practices don't have the specialists to deliver them," said Sahil R. Patel, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of SideBy Care, who is presenting the findings at the ACG conference. "These results show that a structured, multidisciplinary program can be delivered virtually through the patient's own GI practice, with meaningful symptom improvement and very high patient satisfaction."
"SideBy Care was built to integrate behavioral health and nutrition care into specialty care, not something patients have to find on their own," said Patrick Leonard, Co-Founder and CEO of SideBy Care. "Presenting these outcomes at the ACG conference is an important milestone as we expand access to this model across GI practices and conditions, including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and over 30 disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI)."
Presentation Details
- Title: Real-World Outcomes from a Virtual Multidisciplinary Intervention for Adults with Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction
- Authors: Alice Sibelli, PhD (King's College London); Darren Brenner, MD (Northwestern Medicine); Raj Patel, MD (Geisinger Health); Sahil Patel, MD (St. Mary Medical Center; SideBy Care)
- Presenter: Sahil R. Patel, MD
- Session: Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 10:30 am-4:00 pm CT (presenter Q&A 1:00-2:15 pm CT), Exhibit Hall, Music City Center
- Poster number: P5329
- Meeting: ACG 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, October 9-14, 2026, Music City Center, Nashville, Tennessee. The ePoster is also available to members in the online ACG 2026 ePoster Hall from October 11, 2026, through March 31, 2027
- Read the abstract
About SideBy Care
SideBy Care integrates evidence-based behavioral health and nutrition treatment into specialty care. Through participating GI practices, the SideBy Care Program provides patients with IBS and other disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs), Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis with regular virtual visits with a Mind-Gut Specialist and Registered Dietitian, coordinated by a dedicated Care Advocate. The program is ordered by the patient's GI provider, who remains in charge of medical treatment, and is in-network with participating insurance plans. SideBy Care's mission is to redefine specialty care by integrating behavioral health, nutrition, and intelligent technology into the treatment of chronic diseases. Learn more at SideByCare.com.
Media Contact: Paige Leonard, paige@sidebycare.com
SOURCE: SideBy Care
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