Patient Distress in Women with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: How Can Physicians Better Meet Patients Needs?

Recurrent urinary tract infections are a common condition that can impact patients' quality of life. The purpose of this review is to summarize and analyze the literature regarding the distress that these infections can cause to patients and provide guidance to clinicians on how to improve care of these patients.

The current literature on patient perspectives in urinary tract infections shows an emotional symptom experience that is not consistent with the typical symptoms expected by clinicians. The infections can impact all aspects of quality of life, including social, emotional, and financial domains. Women with recurrent urinary tract infections experience a significant amount of distress. They have a strong desire for validation of their experiences by their physicians. Clinicians can best serve these patients by understanding the true impact of their condition and creating treatment strategies that include shared decision making to meet patients' goals.