Studies demonstrate that approximately 65%-82% of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) report at least some degree of bowel urgency, but this symptom is largely underrecognized by gastroenterologists and health care professionals (HCPs) caring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There is a lack of awareness and appreciation of the impact of bowel urgency in patients with CD as it is most commonly associated with ulcerative colitis. Bowel urgency in patients with CD results in emotional and social stress, leading to stigma, feelings of isolation, and impacting all aspects of daily life for patients. Bowel urgency is not widely incorporated into clinical assessment indices or clinical trial endpoints for CD, despite being a pivotal symptom influencing patient health-related QoL (HRQoL) and a potential indicator of uncontrolled intestinal inflammation. 

In this CMEO Outfitters live-streamed symposium, expert faculty will discuss recognizing the frequency of bowel urgency in patients with CD and the impact on patient QoL, incorporating assessments for bowel urgency through symptom evaluation, and engaging patients in open communication about their bowel urgency as part of shared decision-making in order to improve clinical outcomes, and the faculty will also review real-world patient cases.