Side effects, feasibility, and adherence to treatment during home-managed electrical stimulation for urinary incontinence: a Norwegian national cohort of 3,198 women.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze side effects, feasibility, and adherence to treatment during home-managed electrical stimulation for urinary incontinence in women.


METHODS
This was a prospective study of 3,198 Norwegian women treated with home-managed electrical stimulation from 1992 to 1994. Data were collected from both patients and physicians by questionnaires before and after treatment.


RESULTS
Eighty-nine percent of the patients found the stimulator easy or acceptable to use. Fifty percent had no or little discomfort from stimulator use. Nine percent found the stimulator very unpleasant, difficult, or impossible to use. Fifty-one percent had one or more side effects related to the treatment, most of them mild. A wide range of side effects was reported; the majority of which related to local discomfort. Three hundred and six patients (12%) discontinued treatment. A total of 79% of the patients recommended the treatment to other women with similar problems.


CONCLUSIONS
Home-managed electrical stimulation was practicable and well accepted. Half of the patients reported various degrees of side effects with treatment, but no serious events were reported.
Indrekvam
Solfrid
S
Section for General Practice, Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Solfrid.Indrekvam@isf.uib.no
Hunskaar
Steinar
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012648:Self Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000628:therapy*