Physician Attitudes Toward Urinary Incontinence Identification.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Primary Care Medicine
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Urinary incontinence (UI) significantly impacts patient health, quality of life, and healthcare costs.
• Existing research on UI barriers primarily focuses on the patient perspective.
• Understanding physician-perceived barriers is crucial for improving UI identification and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the barriers primary care physicians face in diagnosing and treating urinary incontinence.
• To assess physician comfort levels, familiarity, and current practices related to UI management.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 78 primary care physicians at NorthShore University HealthSystem.
• The survey evaluated physician comfort, knowledge of UI, and practice patterns.
• Institutional review board waiver was obtained prior to physician surveying.

Main Results:

• Of 78 physicians, 55 (71%) completed the survey.
• While most physicians understood UI, only 19% were very comfortable diagnosing and 11% treating it.
• Key barriers included unfamiliarity with treatment algorithms, lack of screening tools, and discomfort with diagnosis/treatment.

Conclusions:

• Physician discomfort with UI diagnosis and treatment, rather than time constraints, emerged as significant barriers.
• The primary barrier identified was the absence of an accessible treatment algorithm.
• Enhancing physician education and implementing standardized screening and treatment algorithms are recommended to improve UI care.