title: Prevalence and triage of first-contact complaints on pelvic floor dysfunctions in female patients at a Pelvic Care Centre.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  (i) To describe and analyse pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms in women referred to a Pelvic Care Centre (PCC). (ii) To describe the triage process of the same patients based on response to a first-contact interview.
  
  
  METHODS
  Triage started with a telephone interview using previously constructed questions, asking for seven types of PF complaints during the preceding 6 months. If present, complaint severity was registered on a 0-10 scale. Next, these first-contact complaints were used to describe patient case mix profiles using cross-tabular analysis. Later on, at first PCC visit, an intake questionnaire containing questions on specific PF health problem(s) was filled out. This procedure contributed to a firm baseline characterization of the individual patient profile and a clinically valid allocation to structured, predefined assessment, and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2005 to 2013, 4473 first-time patients (mean age 56.9 (SD 16.2) have been referred to the PCC. Most frequently mentioned complaints: voiding dysfunction (59.5%), urinary incontinence (46.6%), prolapse (41.1%), fecal incontinence (15.1%), constipation (12.6%), and sexual problems (4.6%). A first appointment to a single specialist was determined in 3.110 (69.5%) patients, in 1.192 (26.7%) consultation of >1 specialist. Data analysis revealed higher-order interactions between PF complaints, suggesting patient profile complexity and patient population heterogeneity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than one out of four PCC patients showed multifactorial problems, needing >1 specialist. PF complaints either turned out to stand alone or cluster with others, or even to strengthen, weaken, nullify, or inverse relationships. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:503-508, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors: Pelvic Care Centre Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: Bary
authors: B
authors: Berghmans
authors: Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Medical Technology Assessment, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: Fred
authors: F
authors: Nieman
authors: Pelvic Care Centre Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Leue
authors: Pelvic Care Centre Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Weemhoff
authors: Pelvic Care Centre Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Breukink
authors: Pelvic Care Centre Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: van Koeveringe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003248:Constipation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology; D059952:Pelvic Floor Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014218:Triage; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: epidemiology; female; heterogeneity; interaction; multidisciplinary; pelvic floor; pelvic floor dysfunctions