We have conducted randomised controlled studies on:
– Internet-based treatment of stress urinary incontinence
We have developed an Internet-based treatment programme for stress urinary incontinence. In 2009-2013, we evaluated the effect of the programme in a randomised controlled trial registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (ID NCT01032265).
Through the project’s website, we recruited 250 women aged 18-70 years, with stress urinary incontinence at least once a week. They were randomised to 3 months of pelvic floor muscle training with either the Internet-based programme, or with a programme sent by post. Participants in the Internet group received email support from a urotherapist, whereas the postal group completed training on their own. We had no face-to-face contact with the participants at any occasion.
Follow-up using postal questionnaires was performed after 4 months, 1 year, and 2 years. We also telephoned 23 participants to interview them about their experiences.
Analysis of the treatment outcome, patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness was performed.
The results have been presented as 6 articles in international medical journals, and as a PhD thesis (see heading publications).
Long-term results are published, link to full text.
Data analysis of predictors of a successful treatment outcome is publiched in June 2016, link to full text.
For links to other articles related to our studies on the Internet-based programme, see Publications.
– Smartphone-based treatment programme for stress urinary incontinence
We have developed the mobile application Tät®, supported by Android and iOS, that provides information, advice on lifestyle, and a pelvic floor muscle training programme in six basic and six advanced levels. It contains help functions, as well as reminders, visualisation of each level of training, and a statistic function.
The effect of the mobile application has been evaluated in a randomised controlled trial registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (ID NCT01848938).
Through the project’s website we recruited 123 women (=18 years of age) that experienced at least 1 episode of stress urinary incontinence per week. Eligible women were randomised to 3 months treatment with support of the smartphone application, or to a group that were offered the smartphone application after a first follow-up. We had no face-to-face contact with the participants at any occasion.
The mean age of the participating women was 45 years. Of 123 women, 121 were followed–up at three months. We found highly significant improvements regarding symptoms and quality of life within the app group at follow-up compared to baseline. The improvements were significantly larger in the app group than in the control group. We concluded that treatment via a smartphone application is an easliy accessible and effective treatment option for women with stress urinary incontinence.
Results was presented at the International Continence Society 2015, see abstract 16 and 526 at http://www.ics.org/WILEY/NAU_vol34_supl3_ppS1_S461.pdf.
Full results are published in September 2016 in Neurourology and Urodynamics, link to full text .