Can individualized health care plans help increase continence in children with dysfunctional elimination syndrome?

School-age children with dysfunctional elimination syndrome (DES) do not always have school support for their treatment plans, including an every 2-hr voiding schedule. The objective of this study was to increase school support of treatment plans by allowing access to bathrooms, thereby improving continence. An eight-question survey about bathroom access at schools was given to parents at baseline. The author contacted school nurses requesting that treatment plans be incorporated into individual health plans (IHPs) with teacher support of the IHP. Six weeks later, school nurses were contacted and parents completed a postintervention survey to determine whether IHPs were supported by teachers. Voiding diaries were used to document continence. Seventeen parents completed the survey at baseline, and 13 children were enrolled in the intervention. After the intervention, 100% of the children had IHPs and teacher support of treatment plans. Ninety-two percent had increased continence. IHPs improved teacher support of children's treatment plans and improved their continence.