Annals of Family Medicine: Treating Incontinence in Primary Care: A Doctor Versus Mobile App Trial

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Some women experiencing urinary incontinence may not be aware of effective treatments, experience shame, or think their symptoms are a normal part of life. A mobile app designed to help women manage urinary incontinence was as effective as in-person primary care treatment, according to new research from the Netherlands. 

The pragmatic randomized controlled trial included 262 women with frequent stress incontinence, overactive bladder, or a mix of symptoms. Participants in the intervention group were assigned to use a standalone mobile app called URinControl, which offered pelvic floor muscle and bladder training exercises. Those in a control group received care-as-usual and were referred to their own primary care doctors who were broadly advised to follow the Dutch guidelines for primary care. The intervention group was also free to seek additional treatment from their primary care doctors.

After four months, women who used only the incontinence app and those who continued with standard care experienced similar results, with a decline in the severity of their incontinence symptoms, less frequent leakage and improved quality of life. Statistical analysis showed just over a one-half percentage point difference between the two groups' average decline in symptom severity. Neither treatment was superior to the other, and both groups showed improvements in outcome measures after treatment.

The authors conclude that primary care physicians can offer care-as-usual and/or app-based treatment to women seeking help for urinary incontinence. They write, "A patient might prefer the accessibility and ease of treatment in her own home, or may benefit from some of the integrated functions of the app."

In the comparison of a mobile app to care-as-usual from one's doctor, the authors note that an app "will only be truly clinically relevant if we can demonstrate that it produces a better patient experience, or that it is less expensive than usual care, or yields significant long-term improvement."

App-Based Treatment in Primary Care for Urinary Incontinence: A Pragmatic, Randomized Controlled Trial
Anne M. M. Loohuis, MD, et al
University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

SOURCE Annals of Family Medicine

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