Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Nov;28(11):1725-1731.
doi: 10.1007/s00192-017-3339-y. Epub 2017 Apr 21.

Innovative treatment modalities for urinary incontinence: a European survey identifying experience and attitude of healthcare providers

Arnoud W Kastelein  1 , Maarten F A Dicker  2 , Brent C Opmeer  3 , Sonia S Angles  4 , Kaisa E Raatikainen  5 , Joan F Alonso  6 , Diana Tăut  7 , Olavi Airaksinen  8 , Linda D Cardozo  9 , Jan-Paul W R Roovers  2 ; WOMEN-UP consortium
Affiliations

Innovative treatment modalities for urinary incontinence: a European survey identifying experience and attitude of healthcare providers

Arnoud W Kastelein et al. Int Urogynecol J. 2017 Nov.

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis: Urinary incontinence is a common condition in women, with a reported prevalence ranging from 25% to 51%. Of these women, an estimated 38% suffer from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). A European research consortium is investigating an innovative system based on information and communication technology for the conservative treatment of women with SUI. When introducing a new intervention, implementation barriers arise and need to be identified. Therefore, we investigated healthcare providers' experience with and attitude towards innovative care options.

Methods: We performed an online survey to assess (1) the characteristics and practice of healthcare providers, (2) current protocols for SUI, (3) current use of biofeedback, and (4) knowledge about serious gaming. The survey was sent to members of professional societies in Europe (EUGA), UK (BSUG) and The Netherlands (DPFS).

Results: Of 341 questionnaires analyzed (response rate between 18% and 30%), 64% of the respondents had access to a protocol for the treatment of SUI, and 31% used biofeedback when treating patients with SUI. However, 92% considered that biofeedback has a clear or probable added value, and 97% of those who did not use biofeedback would change their practice if research evidence supported its use. Finally, 89% of respondents indicated that they had no experience of serious gaming, but 92% considered that it could be useful.

Conclusions: Although inexperienced, European urogynecologists and physical therapists welcome innovative treatment options for the conservative treatment of SUI such as portable wireless biofeedback and serious gaming. Scientific evidence is considered a prerequisite to incorporate such innovations into clinical practice.

Keywords: Biofeedback; Pelvic floor muscle training; Serious gaming; Urinary incontinence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement no. 643535 (WOMEN-UP project). The funder had no involvement in the design and conduct of the survey, in collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data, or in preparation, review and approval of the manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Protocols for mild and moderate SUI throughout Europe
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Current use of biofeedback
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Usefulness of serious gaming for the self-management of SUI
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hannestad YS, Rortveit G, Sandvik H, Hunskaar S. A community-based epidemiological survey of female urinary incontinence: the Norwegian EPINCONT study. Epidemiology of incontinence in the county of Nord-Trondelag. J Clin Epidemiol. 2000;53(11):1150–1157. doi: 10.1016/S0895-4356(00)00232-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sykes D, Castro R, Pons ME, Hampel C, Hunskaar S, Papanicolaou S, et al. Characteristics of female outpatients with urinary incontinence participating in a 6-month observational study in 14 European countries. Maturitas. 2005;52(Suppl 2):S13–S23. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2005.09.003. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lim R, Liong ML, Leong WS, Khan NA, Yuen KH. Effect of stress urinary incontinence on the sexual function of couples and the quality of life of patients. J Urol. 2016;196(1):153–158. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2016.01.090. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dumoulin C, Hay-Smith J, Habee-Seguin GM, Mercier J. Pelvic floor muscle training versus no treatment, or inactive control treatments, for urinary incontinence in women: a short version Cochrane systematic review with meta-analysis. Neurourol Urodyn. 2015;34(4):300–308. doi: 10.1002/nau.22700. - DOI - PubMed
    1. European Association of Urology. Guidelines. Available from: https://uroweb.org/wp-content/uploads/EAU-Extended-Guidelines-2016-Edn.pdf.

LinkOut - more resources