The PromoCon Study: Involving Nurse Practitioners in Urinary Incontinence Care
Author Information
Author(s): Albers-Heitner Pytha, Berghmans Bary, Joore Manuela, Lagro-Janssen Toine, Severens Johan, Nieman Fred, Winkens Ron
Primary Institution: University Hospital Maastricht
Hypothesis
Does the availability and involvement of a nurse specialist as a substitute for the GP for adult persons with urinary incontinence lead to a reduction in the severity of urinary incontinence compared to usual care?
Conclusion
The study aims to determine if involving nurse specialists in primary care for urinary incontinence improves patient care and reduces costs.
Supporting Evidence
- Urinary incontinence affects approximately 5% of the Dutch population.
- Over 50% of patients receive incontinence pads, costing €160 million annually.
- Guidelines recommend pelvic floor muscle training, but it is used only incidentally by general practitioners.
Takeaway
This study is trying to see if having a nurse help with bladder problems makes people feel better and costs less money.
Methodology
A pragmatic prospective multi-centre two-armed randomized controlled trial comparing nurse specialist involvement with usual care.
Potential Biases
Randomization on patient level could lead to contamination and bias the results.
Limitations
Participant selection may limit generalization of results due to potential selective non-response and drop-out.
Participant Demographics
Predominantly women, with prevalence increasing with age; patients aged over 75 have a prevalence of up to 30%.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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