Self‐management of stress urinary incontinence via a mobile app: two‐year follow‐up of a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction

We investigated the long‐term effects of using a mobile app to treat stress urinary incontinence with a focus on pelvic floor muscle training.

Material and methods

A previous randomized controlled trial of 123 women aged 27–72 years found that three months of self‐managing stress urinary incontinence with support from the Tät ^® app was effective. We followed up the women in the app group ( n = 62) two years after the initial trial with the same primary outcomes for symptom severity (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form) and condition‐specific quality of life (ICIQ‐Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Quality of Life) and compared the scores with those at baseline.

Results

Of the 62 women, 61 and 46 (75.4%), respectively, participated in three‐month and two‐year follow‐ups. Baseline data did not differ between responders and non‐responders at follow‐up. The mean decreases in International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form and ICIQ‐Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Quality of Life scores after two years were 3.1 (95% confidence interval 2.0–4.2) and 4.0 (95% confidence interval 2.1–5.9), respectively. Of the 46 women, four (8.7%) rated themselves as very much better, nine (19.6%) as much better, and 16 (34.8%) as a little better. The use of incontinence protection products decreased significantly ( p =  0.04), and the proportion of women who felt they could contract their pelvic muscles correctly increased from 14/46 (30.4%) at baseline to 31/46 (67.4%) at follow‐up ( p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Self‐management of stress urinary incontinence with support from the Tät ^® app had significant and clinically relevant long‐term effects and may serve as first‐line treatment.