Application Detail
Description of Medical Service
Faecal calprotectin (FC) is a stool protein biomarker that may correlate with clinical or endoscopic disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) providing a non-invasive method to assess for intestinal inflammation. High FC levels indicate active inflammation, and may allow for timely adjustments in treatment leading to improved disease management and better outcomes in IBD care including avoidance of irreversible bowel damage, surgery, hospitalisations and morbidity. A low FC suggests no disease activity in IBD, allowing clinicians to avoid unnecessary invasive and expensive investigations such as colonoscopy in many patients.Description of Medical Condition
IBD is a group of conditions characterised by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, including both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD is a chronic relapsing condition and symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, bleeding, weight loss and fatigue. However, symptoms can be a poor marker of gut inflammation (active disease). Uncontrolled disease leads to significant morbidity including hospital admissions, perforation, anaemia, resectional surgery as well as profound effects on the individual’s emotional and social wellbeing. Australian and international management guidelines recommend regular assessment of disease activity and tight control of inflammation in an attempt to prevent these avoidable outcomes.Reason for Application
New MBS itemMedical Service Type
Investigative technologyPrevious Application Number/s
1353Associated Documentation
Application Summary and PICO Set
Application Summary (Word 33 KB)Application Summary (PDF 179 KB)
PICO Set (Word 1898 KB)
PICO Set (PDF 1274 KB)
Consultation Survey
Consultation SurveyPASC Consultation
PASC consultation closed 3 November 2023
MSAC Consultation
MSAC consultation input must be received by no later than Friday, 11 October 2024 for it to be considered by MSAC at its November 2024 meeting.
For further information please refer to PASC, ESC, MSAC Key Dates
For further information on the consultation process please refer to MSAC Consultation Process
PICO Confirmation
PICO Confirmation (PDF 1555 KB)PICO Confirmation (Word 1328 KB)