Abstract
Introduction:
Urinary incontinence, one of the original geriatric giants, is frequently overlooked despite its potential for reversibility and profound impact on older adults. The purpose of this audit was to evaluate the prevalence of continence and utilisation of incontinence wear among inpatients in a rehabilitation facility.
Methods:
Continence care quality in a medical gerontology ward was evaluated using the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) National Audit of Continence Care (NACC) standard. A prospective audit was conducted over a five-day period, documenting continence wear and urinary continence. Two interventions were implemented before re-auditing: incorporating continence as a teaching topic in the non-consultant hospital doctor (NCHD) teaching schedule and adapting the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) proforma to include patient-specific continence records. A snapshot re-audit was then conducted to assess any improvements resulting from these interventions.
Results:
The initial audit included 31 patients, with 26 (83.9%) wearing incontinence wear, of whom 21 (80.8%) opted for it voluntarily. Urinary incontinence was documented in 13 patients (41.9%).
In the re-audit, 40 patients were included, with 27 (67.5%) wearing incontinence wear, of whom 19 (70%) made the choice. Urinary incontinence was documented in 18 patients (45.7%).
Conclusion:
The re-audit revealed a slight decrease in incontinence wear usage (67.5% compared to the initial rate of 83.9%). Many patients wearing incontinence wear expressed a consistent preference for it in both audit cycles. The prevalence of urinary incontinence remained relatively consistent between the initial audit (41.9%) and the re-audit (45.7%).
The persistent prevalence of urinary incontinence calls for effective strategies to address this issue. Furthermore, the patients' preference for incontinence wear underscores the significance of engaging both the MDT and the patients themselves in future interventions. Future projects should focus on gaining a deeper understanding of patients' perspectives on continence care and evaluating the impact of incontinence on patient outcomes.