Postnatal POP
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What are the barriers and facilitators for postnatal women accessing conservative treatment for vaginal prolapse?
IRAS ID
329614
Contact name
Claire Brown
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundadtion Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Vaginal prolapse is a common condition that affects women’s quality of life. Around half of all women who have had children will have a prolapse. Symptoms of vaginal prolapse include a bulge or heaviness in the vagina. A prolapse can cause problems with bladder, bowel or having sex. Recommended treatments are pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME), vaginal pessaries (a device placed inside the vagina) or surgery.
Surgery is expensive, invasive and can cause complications. Professions who offer conservative treatments options include physiotherapists, nurses and doctors. Women can choose to make an appointment at their GP surgery for a diagnosis, to start treatment (PFME or pessary) or may be referred to secondary care. Women can also self-refer to physiotherapy. A recent survey showed that 82% of GPs and urogynaecology doctors do not offer symptomatic postnatal women all conservative treatments. Reasons why postnatal women are not receiving all conservative treatments are not fully understood.
The aim of this research is to evaluate the barriers and facilitators of postnatal women accessing conservative treatments for POP.
Postnatal women referred to the physiotherapy department with POP will be invited to take part in the study. It is also important to understand from women who have not accessed treatment from clinicians, therefore women from online support groups will also be invited. These women will be talked to, to help understand what the barriers and facilitators are to accessing treatment for POP.
Clinicians delivering conservative treatments to postnatal women will also be explored. All professions using conservative treatments will be included. Physiotherapists, nurses, and doctors will also be interviewed.
The questions for the interviews will be developed by postnatal women experiencing POP. Interviews with women and clinicians will be confidential and held in a place convenient to each individual. The interviews will be recorded and typed out. These findings will help inform future research to design and deliver the optimal treatment package for postnatal women with prolapse.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NW/0016
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jan 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion