Research priorities in urinary incontinence: results from citizens' juries

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to elicit research ideas, priorities and outcome measures from women who suffer from urinary incontinence.

Design: Citizens' juries gather participants together for a combination of education and deliberation on a specific topic. The juries were held in November 2007.

Setting: Women living in the community with urinary incontinence.

Sample: Purposively selected responders to public advertisements in Dunedin, New Zealand, were grouped into two juries dependent on whether stress urinary incontinence or urge urinary incontinence was the predominant problem.

Methods: The juries had a day of education in incontinence and research-related issues, with a half day for deliberation and reporting.

Main outcome measures: Ideas for areas where research may help the lives of women with incontinence in priority order and how best to measure the outcome of that research.

Results: The juries identified five main areas for incontinence research with only minor differences depending on which jury. These are, in priority order, making seeking help easier, making day-to-day life more manageable, finding out total costs, more knowledge about causes and the effects of lifestyle. Quality of life was considered by far the most important outcome.

Conclusions: Citizens' juries are able to come up with ideas for research and prioritise these. Research in the areas suggested would be likely to improve the lives of women with urinary incontinence and may lead to a different mix of research projects than is currently the case.