[The open, interdisciplinary incontinence clinic at Hvidovre Hospital. Preliminary experiences from the first 16 months]

Abstract

A "minimal care" program for examination and treatment of urinary incontinence in an open access incontinence clinic was assessed. The first 300 women and 27 men consecutively investigated in the clinic are described. A reference program based on minimal relevant work-up and non-operative treatment as first line with use of minimal resources was followed. Of 171 evaluated women, 100 received non-operative treatment besides general advice on voiding/toilet pattern and appropriate incontinence appliances. Subjectively 69% felt cured or very much improved, 25% experienced improvement while 6% did not report benefit of the treatment. Objectively, diminished leakage was demonstrated by pad-weighing test. Similar results were found in the treated men. Our preliminary results demonstrate, that an open access, interdisciplinary clinic is patient-accepted and effective for the evaluation and treatment of urinary incontinence.