Surgical Care for Female Urinary Incontinence Qualitative Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Surgical Care for Female Urinary Incontinence Qualitative Study: Understanding patients’ experiences and expectations
IRAS ID
214017
Contact name
Simon Cohn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
This study considers how decisions about surgical care for urinary incontinence (UI) are understood and undertaken by female patients. Urinary incontinence (UI) is a very common condition that has significant impact on women’s wellbeing. New surgical treatments for UI have been developed and improved in the last decade and the number of women having surgery is increasing. However, there is a lack of information about the factors that may impact their treatment preferences. This study will investigate such preferences through interviews which explore a) the impact of UI on women’s everyday lives; b) experiences and expectation of surgical and non-surgical outcomes; c) factors drawn on in women’s decision-making; d) what action (if any) is taken in relation to their UI. The interviews will provide first-hand accounts that have the potential to influence policy-making and everyday practice.
The study will interview up to 60 women referred to urogynaecology clinics who have not yet undergone surgery for UI but are considering this as an option. Interviewees will be selected to reflect a range of ages from four participating secondary care clinics- Leicester, Birmingham, Gillingham and Southampton. Those who consent to participate will be interviewed by an experienced qualitative female researcher in their preferred location- at their home, in the clinic, or over Skype. Interviews will be open-ended allowing interviewees to talk at length about issues that most concern them and so that descriptions of experiences of incontinence and related medical and surgical interventions can be located within narrative accounts of women’s everyday lives.
This discrete study is part of a wider NIHR-funded project that aims to improve the delivery of surgical care for women with UI. The qualitative work will complement the quantitative studies in the wider project through ‘giving voice’ to women with UI.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
16/IEC08/0041
Date of REC Opinion
16 Dec 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion