The role of the nurse in community continence care: a systematic review.
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a condition that is associated with decreased quality of life. Apart from this impact on quality of life, UI is also a very costly problem. It is recognised that 'usual care' for patients suffering from UI is not optimal. Specialised nurses can play an important role in the care for community-dwelling incontinent patients, as they have the appropriate interpersonal and technical skills to provide patient-tailored care. This systematic review analyses the effect of treatment by nurses on clinical and economic outcomes. A total of 12 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were found, varying in terms of population, setting, outcome measurement and control/intervention. There is limited evidence that treatment by nurses results in a decrease in incontinence. No evidence was found for cost reduction. Recommendations are made for future studies.
Du Moulin
M F M T
MF
Department of Health Care Studies, Section of Nursing Science, Universiteit Maastricht, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. m.dumoulin@zw.unimaas.nl
Hamers
J P H
JP
Paulus
A
A
Berendsen
C
C
Halfens
R
R
D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000191:economics / Q000451:nursing*