Mobile app for treatment of stress urinary incontinence: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the effect of a mobile app treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women.

Methods: Randomized controlled trial, conducted 2013-2014 in Sweden. Community-dwelling adult women with ≥1 SUI episode/week recruited through our website and randomized to app treatment (n = 62) or control group (postponed treatment, n = 61). One participant from each group was lost to follow-up. Intervention was the mobile app Tät^® with a treatment program focused on pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), and information about SUI and lifestyle factors. Primary outcomes, 3 months after randomization: symptom severity (International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form [ICIQ-UI SF]); and condition-specific quality of life (ICIQ Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life [ICIQ-LUTSqol]).

Results: One hundred and twenty-three women were included (mean age 44.7), with moderate/severe SUI (97.5%, 120/123), mean ICIQ-UI SF score 11.1 (SD 2.8) and mean ICIQ-LUTSqol score 34.4 (SD 6.1) at baseline. At follow-up, the app group reported improvements in symptom severity (mean ICIQ-UI SF score reduction: 3.9, 95% confidence interval 3.0-4.7) and condition-specific quality of life (mean ICIQ-LUTSqol score reduction: 4.8, 3.4-6.2) and the groups were significantly different (mean ICIQ-UI SF score difference: -3.2, -4.3to -2.1; mean ICIQ-LUTSqol score difference: -4.6, -7.8 to -1.4). In the app group, 98.4% (60/61) performed PFMT at follow-up, and 41.0% (25/61) performed it daily.

Conclusions: The mobile app treatment was effective for women with SUI and yielded clinically relevant improvements. This app may increase access to first-line treatment and adherence to PFMT.

Keywords: mobile applications; pelvic floor muscle training; randomized controlled trial; self-management; stress urinary incontinence.