Health Care Utilization and Economic Issues in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal condition which is seen by both primary care providers and gastroenterologists. In the United States, it has been estimated there are upwards of 3.5 million physician visits annually by patients with IBS with these patients representing a large percentage of subspecialty referrals. Interestingly, there are limited data on the rates of health care utilization by patients with IBS and even less data on the economic impact of IBS at a societal level. The objectives of this review of the extant literature are to report on IBS and health care utilization, define and review methods for economic costs assessments in IBS, and evaluate published studies which have examined the economic impact of IBS.