Standard questions for a bowel diary to assess fecal incontinence in adults: A consensus project of the International Continence Society

Abstract

Aims:To develop a minimum set of standard questions to include on a bowel diary for assessing fecal incontinence in adults. Methods:An interdisciplinary team of ICS members searched and reviewed the literature, analyzed 32 bowel diaries from 9 countries, obtained input from 56 delegates from 19 countries at two ICS workshops, and reached consensus using a modified Delphi method. Results:Fourteen questions to include as standard on a bowel diary for reporting characteristics of fecal incontinence prospectively in adults were developed. Conclusion:There are numerous advantages to having standard questions for a bowel diary including potential to improve information about the characteristics and epidemiology of fecal incontinence and enabling comparisons of outcomes of interventions across settings and studies.