Purpose and Overview

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasingly prevalent, now affecting approximately 1% of the U.S. population, and is associated with significant burdens on patients and society. IBD is now considered to have a modifiable course, with disease modification relying on early diagnosis, early risk-stratified and effective treatment, followed by objective monitoring to achieve tight control of inflammation. Long-term control of intestinal inflammation is associated with avoidance of gut and extraintestinal complications and higher patient quality of life. An increasing number of medications to control intestinal inflammation are available, and these cause varying degrees of immunosuppression, leading to differing health maintenance needs among patients. With the growing complexity of IBD care, gaps in IBD care quality have been identified. These gaps can be narrowed by making changes to care structure and delivery, empowering multidisciplinary care teams, and leveraging the electronic medical record to prompt multitasking physicians and clinical staff.