Urgency, which is the immediate need to defecate, is common in IBD. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between urgency in ulcerative colitis patients and outcomes like quality of life and hospitalizations.

We studied 632 patients with UC. Urgency, described as "hurry," "immediately," and "incontinence," was associated with many factors like social isolation, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. It was also associated with increased risk of hospitalization, steroids, and surgery.

These findings support using urgency as an important quality of life outcome to be studied in clinical trials.

Between 2011 and 2018, participation in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for inflammatory bowel disease declined while available RCTs in-creased. Younger patients, patients in community settings, and patients with milder disease were underrepresented in RCTs. Nonparticipants had disease activity failing remission criteria, highlighting the role of RCT participation.