Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) significantly impacts the patient’s quality of life with chronic disabling symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, bowel urgency, weight loss, fatigue. Bowel urgency, the sudden or immediate need for a bowel movement, is distinct from increased stool frequency and its underlying mechanisms are multifactorial and may vary within and between patients being driven primarily by active inflammation. It is one of the most bothersome symptoms experienced by patients with ulcerative colitis, with substantial negative impacts on quality of life and psychosocial functioning. Bowel urgency is often not discussed by patients due to embarrassment, and it may not be addressed adequately by healthcare providers. In fact, patients may report bowel urgency even if they are considered in remission based on symptoms or endoscopic findings. Several patient’s reported outcomes tools have been developed to measure the impact of urgency on patients’ life. This article presents the main challenges related to integration of bowel urgency into current care of IBD patients and its impact on treatment choice and monitoring.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are chronic inflammatory conditions which have a major impact on the patients’ quality of life. Patient reported outcomes (PROs) help empower the patients giving them a voice in their treatment decision and improving communication between patients and doctors. PROs represent a foundation for a tailored approach of IBD monitoring and treatment and are very important in both research and routine clinical management. Improved PROs tools will facilitate their use in daily practice, in turn improving the delivery of value-based healthcare and, in the long term, good clinical care of the patients. This review is focused on the main principles regarding PROs role and their importance in IBD care.