A pilot study of users' experiences of urinary catheter drainage bags

Despite the wealth of literature focused on the management of people living in the community with long-term indwelling urinary catheters, little attention has been paid to their impact on daily life. In a pilot study, a purposive sample of people with long-term indwelling urinary catheters were sent a questionnaire asking about their indwelling urinary catheter, method of drainage and impact of the catheter drainage bag on their daily life. Nearly one-quarter of respondents stated that wearing a drainage bag had a major impact on their normal daily living. The study also highlighted a number of methodological issues that need to be addressed in future research.