Survey reveals persistent challenges of IBS on daily life and productivity

Despite social media helping to increase awareness of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among the public (81% of health care providers agree) and advancements in treatment over the past decade, IBS symptoms continue to significantly impact patients' daily lives and productivity, according to a new survey released by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), in partnership with The Harris Poll, a Stagwell (STGW) agency.

The AGA IBS in America survey reveals compelling new insights that explore shifts in patient experiences, health care provider perceptions, and the treatment landscape for IBS from a similar study conducted in 2015. The 2024 comprehensive study, which included 2,013 patients with IBS and 600 health care providers, sheds light on persistent challenges faced by patients with IBS.

Burden of disease

Survey findings indicate that IBS symptoms interfere with patients' productivity at work/school for nearly 11 days per month on average, in addition to symptoms disrupting personal activities eight days per month on average, highlighting the substantial burden of the condition. Patients with IBS are missing more work/school days per month due to their gastrointestinal symptoms than they were 10 years ago (3.6 days in 2024, 2.1 days in 2015), and more report spending less time with family and friends because of their symptoms (58%, up from 48% in 2015).

The study also revealed that while fewer patients in 2024 report their symptoms are very or extremely bothersome (43%, compared to 62% in 2015), 76% still find it somewhat or very difficult to manage their symptoms. The ability to accurately predict symptoms remains elusive, with less than one in three patients (31% in 2024, in line with 29% in 2015) reporting that they can very or extremely accurately predict whether they will experience symptoms today.

All of this affects patients' willingness or ability to make plans and ultimately impacts how patients feel about themselves.

• 77% report that they avoid situations where bathroom access is limited.
• 72% say it is difficult to plan things because they never know when their symptoms will act up.
• 72% feel their symptoms cause them to stay home more often.

Seven in 10 patients don't feel like themselves because of their symptoms (72%), say their symptoms make them feel like they're not "normal" (69%), or feel their symptoms prevent them from reaching their full potential/being successful (69%).

The findings of this survey underscore the persistent challenges and impact IBS has on patients' lives. Despite progress in the medical community's approach to diagnosing and managing IBS, patients continue to suffer significant disruptions to their personal and professional lives."

Andrea Shin, MD, MSCR, AGA Patient Education Advisor and UCLA Health

Treatment regimens

Despite treatment options evolving over the last 10 years to now include a wide variety of over-the-counter and prescription medications, including U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agents to treat IBS, the survey findings highlight that patients and health care providers rely predominantly on over-the-counter treatment options and lifestyle adjustments rather than prescription medications.

While prescription medications are among the most helpful treatments, according to patients with IBS who have tried them (18% for IBS-C, 19% for IBS-D), patients report that these treatments are not among the top three treatments recommended by health care providers, which typically include:

• IBS-C:
  • Fiber (30%).
  • Non-prescription laxatives (26%).
  • Stool softeners (24%).
  • Lifestyle changes like exercise (24%).
• IBS-D:
  • Diet changes (26%).
  • Over-the-counter medications for upset stomach or diarrhea (26%).
  • Probiotics (25%).

While more than two in five health care providers whose patients ever request a specific IBS treatment (45%) say they will recommend or prescribe the requested treatment always or most of the time, only around one in 10 (14%) say patients often do so. Patients should be encouraged to advocate for and request new or alternative treatments and proactively discuss options with their health care provider.

Most patients with both IBS-C and IBS-D (78% each) are satisfied with the treatments they currently take; however, only about one in five are very satisfied (25% IBS-C, 26% IBS-D). Further, compared to 2015, more physicians who treat IBS say effective relief of abdominal pain (49% vs. 39%) or diarrhea/constipation (47% vs. 33%) and the availability of treatment options (49% vs. 34%) are what is most lacking in IBS treatment today despite advancements in the IBS treatment landscape. These findings highlight an opportunity for further improvement in treatment efficacy and patient satisfaction.

"IBS is a condition that continues to challenge patients to find a treatment that consistently works for them," said Jeffrey Roberts, founder of the IBS Patient Support Group community and founder of World IBS Day. "The AGA IBS in America Survey sheds light on patients who are still not being offered a variety of treatments that could provide them with a better quality of life. This continues to result in disruptions to their career, schooling, and life with their families and friends."

AGA is committed to continued research and education to address the persistent impact of IBS on patients' lives and productivity, supporting health care providers and patients in managing this chronic condition effectively.

The AGA IBS in America survey was conducted with support from Salix Medical Affairs, a division of Bausch Health US, Inc.

Research Methodology

The patient research was conducted online in the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of AGA between Oct. 28 and Nov. 8, 2024, among 2,013 U.S. adults age 18+ who have been diagnosed by a health care provider with IBS-C (1,005) or IBS-D (1,008) and have not been diagnosed with celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcers, or colon, stomach, or other cancer of the gastrointestinal tract. The health care provider research was conducted online in the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of AGA between Nov. 15 and Dec. 9, 2024, among 600 health care providers including gastroenterologists (n=200), primary care physicians (PCPs, n=200), gastroenterology nurse practitioners (NP)/physician assistants (PA) (n=100), and PCP NP/PAs (n=100) aged 18 or older who practice in the U.S., treat adult patients, see at least six IBS patients per month, and see IBS-C or IBS-D patients. 

Data for patients are weighted, where necessary, by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income, employment, and smoking status to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Data for physicians are weighted separately, as necessary, by gender and age for each specialty to align with their actual proportions in the population. Data for advanced practice providers (APPs) were not weighted and are therefore only representative of the individuals who completed the survey. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in The Harris Poll surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data for patients is accurate to within ± 2.9 percentage points. The data for each physician specialty is accurate to within ± 7.2 percentage points, using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. 

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.