URCHOICE feasibility study about knowing pelvic floor dysfunction risk
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating pregnant women’s and health care professionals’ views about knowing a woman’s individual risk of future pelvic floor dysfunction: a feasibility study for the UR-CHOICE Randomised Controlled Trial.
IRAS ID
261610
Contact name
Carol Bugge
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Stirling
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) includes several problems, such as urinary and faecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. These problems have been shown to negatively affect women’s lives. We have developed a way to calculate a woman’s PFD risk called the UR-CHOICE process. The UR-CHOICE process involves using the UR-CHOICE calculator to find out a woman's risk of PFD overall as well as the health problems that make up PFD (urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence and prolapse). Having identified the woman’s risk, that risk information is then used within a health professional to woman consultation to support the discussions.
Our plan is to create an optimal trial to test if the UR-CHOICE process leads to less women having PFD after childbirth but first we have to understand if UR-CHOICE is acceptable to women and healthcare professionals (HCPs) and if it is feasible to deliver it in practice. We aim to: explore women’s and HCPs perspectives about the acceptability of the UR-CHOICE process; and understand what actions women might take as a result of knowing their PFD risk.
Using qualitative methods we plan to interview pregnant women about their views on knowing about PFD during pregnancy and in the post-partum period. As HCPs would be the people discussing the risk information with woman we also plan to interview obstetricians, by telephone, and hold a focus group with midwives to seek their views on the UR-CHOICE process.
We will use a thematic approach to analysis, called the Framework Approach. Using this approach we will aim to publish information which supports a decision about progression to a trial of UR-CHOICE. And, if a trial seems feasible, the information gained will support identification of the best ways to run the trial for women and for health professionals.REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0527
Date of REC Opinion
12 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion