Patients' experiences with self-management of conservative interventions for fecal incontinence

To describe patients' experience self-managing conservative interventions for fecal incontinence (FI) during usual FI care.

Community-living adults with FI recruited from urogynecology and continence clinics participated in a pilot study developing a mobile application for FI self-management support. Data were collected using a demographics questionnaire, FI severity index tool, and semi-structured interviews about participants' experience self-managing conservative interventions for FI which were part of their usual care treatment plan. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim using online video software. Transcripts were analyzed using content analysis.

Data from 17 women, aged 30 to ≥60 years, 9 White, 8 Black/African American, who had FI ranging from less than one year to more than 10 years were analyzed in this study. Themes of responses described starting interventions soon after receiving them, mixed opinions about ease of performing some interventions (e.g., pelvic floor muscle exercises, completing diaries), barriers to performing interventions (e.g., forgetfulness, no time), practical strategies facilitating self-management (e.g., setting alarms, keeping a schedule), emotional strategies that were supportive and motivating (e.g., maintaining hope, seeing positive results), and advice about self-management to others with FI (seek help, give it time).

Patient experiences provided clinicians with specific topics to target for patient education and ways to support themselves in self-managing FI.