Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) means accidentally leaking urine when coughing, sneezing, or exercising. It’s a common condition, especially in women, and can have a big impact on daily life. There are several treatment options, like pelvic floor exercises or surgery. The decision to have surgery is made during a consultation with a doctor.
There are three ways to make this decision:
This thesis of Nienke Osse looked at what women and doctors think is important when choosing a treatment for SUI. First, two common types of surgery were compared, and women were happy with both options.
Next, the study explored how women want to be involved in making treatment decisions. Women and doctors from the Netherlands, the UK, and Canada were interviewed and asked to fill out surveys.
Almost all the women said they want to take an active role in choosing their treatment. It didn’t matter much whether they made the decision on their own or together with the doctor—as long as they were involved. Most women felt they were allowed to be involved in the decision. Most doctors agreed with involving women, but many admitted it can be hard to decide together because they often prefer one specific treatment.
That’s why it’s important for doctors to get training in how to support women in making the treatment choice that suits them best.
Nienke Osse is part of Health in Context.
