Outpatient health care utilization of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. On the basis of the normal life expectancy of inflammatory bowel disease patients, the early onset of their disease, and the variety of symptoms, inflammatory bowel disease patients were anticipated to be frequent users of outpatients services. This study assesses (1) the characteristics, (2) outpatient health care utilization, and (3) the degree of satisfaction with health care of inflammatory bowel disease patients compared to patients with other gastrointestinal disease. The study method was a secondary analysis of data collected on 395 patients attending the University of Calgary Gastroenterology Outpatient Clinic in 1988. Inflammatory bowel disease patients were significantly younger (P less than 0.001) and better educated (P less than 0.05) than other patients. During the past year inflammatory bowel disease patients consulted significantly more often with their gastroenterologist (P less than 0.001) and spent more time in hospital (P less than 0.05) than other patients. Inflammatory bowel disease patients also consulted more frequently with herbalists and naturopaths. Lastly, inflammatory bowel disease patients were as satisfied with the health care they received as other patients. These results provide information useful for health care planners as well as for those dealing directly with inflammatory bowel disease patients. 