Patient-centered interventions: implications for incontinence.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nurse researchers in incontinence have focused on testing the effects of standardized interventions; however, nurses in practice usually customize interventions with patients. Patient-centered interventions promise to bring research and practice closer together.Tailored interventions, one kind of patient-centered intervention, have been associated with improved health outcomes and can guide research interventions regarding incontinence. OBJECTIVES: To define the concept "patient-centered," discuss four kinds of patient-centered interventions, offer examples of tailored interventions, and suggest ideas for future incontinence research. METHODS: Existing literature on patient-centered interventions was analyzed to generate a plan for future research. RESULTS: Research is needed to demonstrate the efficacy of patient-centered interventions in outcomes, to determine bio-psycho-social factors of subgroups (race, gender, ethnicity) in order to more accurately describe prevalence rates and create effective interventions, and to find common variables among successful interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Developing and testing patient-centered interventions regarding incontinence promises to advance knowledge about more effective interventions, conditions under which they are more or less effective, and how they are effective.