Easywee - a female urine collection bottle
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of a modification of the disposable male urinal bottle for female patients (the Easywee Study).
IRAS ID
311131
Contact name
Sian Thomas
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 3 days
Research summary
The aim of this multi-site, multi-discipline observational cohort study is to evaluate the potential of a modification of the disposable pulp male urinal bottle (which we have called the “Easywee”) to minimise pain and/or maintain dignity and autonomy for immobilised female patients when emptying their bladders.
Bladder management for female patients when in considerable pain or immobilised is challenging. Currently these patients often use a bedpan despite the indignity and pain involved in manoeuvring and the need for more than one member of staff to assist. Alternatively, a urinary catheter is used with the associated risk of infection, trauma and long term impact on urinary continence and independence.
Staff in the Emergency Department (ED) and Trauma and Orthopaedic ward (T&O) at the Great Western Hospital NHS Trust (GWH) have successfully used male urinal bottles cut into a more appropriate shape as a alternative to the bedpan for female patients with a neck of femur fracture (NOF). In a small quality improvement project (QIP) NOF patients were offered the use of the Easywee as an alternative to the bedpan. Both patients and staff were asked to complete a questionnaire about their views of the Easywee.
We have recruited 3 other hospital sites who would like to assess the value of the Easywee for their NOF patients and the maternity department at our hospital. We have developed a more sophisticated electronic questionnaire and seek to repeat the initial study, seeking contemporaneous feedback from patients and nursing staff using the Easywee, with a larger study population over several hospital sites and including a broader range of presentations in ED’s and T&O wards and patients in an obstetrics department. We will also assess whether using the Easywee reduces the use of urinary catheters in this patient population.
REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/0191
Date of REC Opinion
18 Mar 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion