Is a behavioral treatment for urinary incontinence beneficial to prostate cancer survivors as a follow-up care?

Purpose: The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends a follow-up care plan for urinary incontinence of prostate cancer survivors that includes pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME). We examined potential impacts and access barriers of this recommendation with consideration of patients who normally do not seek such care.

Methods: We compared 267 participants of a clinical trial that tested a PFME-based treatment of urinary incontinence and 69 nonparticipants who declined the trial.

Effects of Patient Centered Interventions on Persistent Urinary Incontinence after Prostate Cancer Treatment: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Purpose: We examined whether an intervention combining pelvic floor muscle exercise and symptom self-management would improve urinary continence and quality of life in patients with prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: In a randomized, controlled, longitudinal clinical trial 279 patients with prostate cancer with persistent urinary incontinence were randomized to 1 of 3 groups, including biofeedback pelvic floor muscle exercise plus a support group, the biofeedback exercise plus telephone contact and usual care without intervention. The biofeedback plus support and plus telephone groups received 1 session of biofeedback assisted exercise and 6 biweekly sessions of problem solving therapy.

Shared medical appointments for patients with diabetes: glycemic reduction in high-risk patients.

Purpose: To assess the impact on glycemic control (A1c, %) in a primary care urban Veterans Affairs (VA) shared medical appointments (SMAs).

Data Sources: A retrospective pretest/posttest study included all patients who had attended ≥1 SMA from 4/06 to 12/10. A1cs 810 days pre- and postinitial SMA were obtained from 90-day time periods.

What it would take for men to attend and benefit from support groups after prostatectomy for prostate cancer: a problem-solving approach.

Twenty-nine incontinent prostate cancer patients learned Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises through biofeedback and were randomly assigned to a control group or a support group entailing six meetings over 3 months. The obtained consent rate (50%) is much higher than the previously reported rate for men (13%). The reasons for refusal were mainly due to actual barriers (48%) and less frequently due to psychological concerns (10.

Mortality rates and diabetic foot ulcers: is it time to communicate mortality risk to patients with diabetic foot ulceration?

Five-year mortality rates after new-onset diabetic ulceration have been reported between 43% and 55% and up to 74% for patients with lower-extremity amputation. These rates are higher than those for several types of cancer including prostate, breast, colon, and Hodgkin's disease. These alarmingly high 5-year mortality rates should be addressed more aggressively by patients and providers alike.

Shared medical appointments based on the chronic care model: a quality improvement project to address the challenges of patients with diabetes with high cardiovascular risk.

Objective: The epidemic proportions and management complexity of diabetes have prompted efforts to improve clinic throughput and efficiency. One method of system redesign based on the chronic care model is the Shared Medical Appointment (SMA) in which groups of patients (8-20) are seen by a multi-disciplinary team in a 1-2 h appointment. Evaluation of the impact of SMAs on quality of care has been limited.

Effects of combined pelvic floor muscle exercise and a support group on urinary incontinence and quality of life of postprostatectomy patients.

Purpose/objectives: To examine the effect of combined pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) and a support group on postprostatectomy urinary incontinence and quality of life.

Design: Pilot study of a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Setting: Two metropolitan hospitals in northeastern Ohio.

Intervention of urinary incontinence and quality of life outcome in prostate cancer patients.

This study examined the effect of combined Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises (PFME) and support group on quality of life of postprostatectomy patients. Twenty-nine participants learned PFME through biofeedback and were randomized to the control group (n = 15) and support group (n = 14). Assessment of quality of life was conducted at baseline and 3-month follow-up.