Abstract
BackgroundThe aim was to explore the concerns and expectations of women invited to attend group physiotherapy sessions for the management of female urinary incontinence and whether the experience changed their views; and to gather recommendations from women attending group sessions on the design and delivery of these sessionsMethodsAn interview study nested within a randomised controlled trial in five British NHS physiotherapy departments, including 22 women who had expressed a preference for an individual physiotherapy session but were randomised to, and attended, group sessions.ResultsEmbarrassment was woven throughout women's accounts of experiencing urinary incontinence and seeking health care. Uncertainty about the nature of group sessions was a source of concern. Attending the first session was seen as a big hurdle by many women. However, a sense of relief was common once the session started, with most women describing some benefit from attendance. Recommendations for design and delivery of the sessions from women focused on reducing embarrassment and uncertainty prior to attendance.ConclusionTaking account of women's embarrassment and providing detailed information about the content of group sessions will enable women to benefit from group physiotherapy sessions for the management of female urinary incontinence.Trial RegistrationTrial registration number: ISRCTN 16772662
Highlights
The aim was to explore the concerns and expectations of women invited to attend group physiotherapy sessions for the management of female urinary incontinence and whether the experience changed their views; and to gather recommendations from women attending group sessions on the design and delivery of these sessions
One study showed that of the women attending group sessions for incontinence, most are satisfied with the group approach[4] and another that there was no difference in compliance between women randomised to group or individual sessions[5]
This paper reports the results of a qualitative study nested within a randomised controlled trial of a group versus individually delivered intervention for female urinary incontinence[1,6]
Summary
The aim was to explore the concerns and expectations of women invited to attend group physiotherapy sessions for the management of female urinary incontinence and whether the experience changed their views; and to gather recommendations from women attending group sessions on the design and delivery of these sessions. The provision of a group intervention by physiotherapists for female urinary incontinence is an attractive option for health care providers. Earlier studies raised concerns about the uptake of group sessions for incontinence by women. An evaluation study[2] found relatively poor uptake of group sessions with only 41% attendance among women invited to a group session and only 35% of those invited completing the course. One study showed that of the women attending group sessions for incontinence, most are satisfied with the group approach[4] and another that there was no difference in compliance between women randomised to group or individual sessions[5]
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