title: Health professionals' and patients' perspectives on pelvic floor muscle training adherence-2011 ICS State-of-the-Science Seminar research paper IV of IV.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is scant information on pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) adherence barriers and facilitators. A web-based survey was conducted (1) to investigate whether responses from health professionals and the public broadly reflected findings in the literature, (2) if responses differed between the two groups, and (3) to identify new research directions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health professional and public surveys were posted on the ICS website. PFMT adherence barriers and facilitators were divided into four categories: physical/condition, patient, therapy, and social-economic. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics from quantitative data and thematic data analysis for qualitative data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred and fifteen health professionals and 51 public respondents participated. Both cohorts felt "patient-related factors" constituted the most important adherence barrier, but differed in their rankings of short- and long-term barriers. Health professionals rated "patient-related" and the public "therapy-related" factors as the most important adherence facilitator. Both ranked "perception of PFMT benefit" as the most important long-term facilitator. Contrary to published findings, symptom severity was not ranked highly. Neither cohort felt the barriers nor facilitators differed according to PFM condition (urinary/faecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain); however, a large number of health professionals felt differences existed across age, gender, and ethnicity. Half of respondents in both cohorts felt research barriers and facilitators differed from those in clinical practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An emphasis on "patient-related" factors, ahead of "condition-specific" and "therapy-related," affecting PFMT adherence barriers was evident. Health professionals need to be aware of the importance of long-term patient perception of PFMT benefits and consider enabling strategies.
authors.affiliation: School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.|Allied Health Research, Cabrini Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Helena C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Frawley
authors.affiliation: Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland.
authors.forename: Doreen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McClurg
authors.affiliation: Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Male', Maldives.
authors.forename: Aishath
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahfooza
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.|Department of Women's and Children's Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hay-Smith
authors.affiliation: School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.|Research Centre of the Institut Universitaire de Geriatrie de Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Chantale
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dumoulin
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: adherence; health professionals; patients; pelvic floor muscle training; questionnaire; survey