Continence problems affect an estimated 14 million people in the UK, but the products they are given are too often chosen on the basis of budget rather than clinical need. A review of the evidence found no trials or prior consensus to guide selection, leaving provision inconsistent and, at times, at odds with patients’ quality of life, dignity and skin health.
To establish where UK professionals agree, a steering group of NHS continence specialists developed 50 statements across seven topics. The statements were tested through a modified Delphi consensus, with a survey completed by 181 healthcare professionals. Consensus was pre-specified at 66% agreement, with very high agreement set at 90%.
Thirty-nine of the 50 statements reached very high agreement. The recommendations put the patient first: pad provision should be based on clinical and holistic needs rather than budgets or a fixed number of pads per day, and product choices should account for dignity, mental health and the risk of falls.
Triducive acted as the independent facilitator for this Delphi consensus, analysing the responses and supporting the writing. The findings make the case for provision built around individual patient assessment rather than cost alone.
Orme S, et al. Nursing and Residential Care, 2022; 24(3). DOI: 10.12968/nrec.2021.0013
