Patient-centered interventions: implications for incontinence

Nurse researchers in incontinence have focused on testing the effects of standardized interventions; however, nurses in practice usually customize interventions with patients. Patient-centered interventions promise to bring research and practice closer together.Tailored interventions, one kind of patient-centered intervention, have been associated with improved health outcomes and can guide research interventions regarding incontinence.

To define the concept "patient-centered," discuss four kinds of patient-centered interventions, offer examples of tailored interventions, and suggest ideas for future incontinence research.

Existing literature on patient-centered interventions was analyzed to generate a plan for future research.

Research is needed to demonstrate the efficacy of patient-centered interventions in outcomes, to determine bio-psycho-social factors of subgroups (race, gender, ethnicity) in order to more accurately describe prevalence rates and create effective interventions, and to find common variables among successful interventions.

Developing and testing patient-centered interventions regarding incontinence promises to advance knowledge about more effective interventions, conditions under which they are more or less effective, and how they are effective.