| General Public
The panel agreed that extensive education across the following target
groups was necessary to promote prevention of incontinence.
- The
general public should be informed about healthy bladder habits and
when/how to seek help.
- Parents
should know about the possible effects of toilet training practices
and attitudes.
- Teachers
and schools should be informed about the importance of healthy
bladder habits and appropriate toilet environments.
- People
with neurological disease (and their doctors) should know that
management is possible.
- Relatives
of people with existing incontinence might prove the most receptive
and relevant audience to target with a prevention message. More
research is needed to determine the most effective delivery of
continence health education.
Health
Professionals/Researchers
Health professionals would be well advised to incorporate this
knowledge into their everyday clinical practice.
Patients and the general public could benefit from the dissemination
of this knowledge.
We have identified many deficiencies in existing research data. There
is a need to increase the quality of prevention research, to standardize
terminology, and utilize prospective cohort designs for research. These
improvements are necessary despite being both costly and time-consuming.
Standardization of data acquisition, diagnostic methods, interviews,
interventions and measurement are essential. This standardization would
be best coordinated through the International Continence Society. It is
important that researchers fully understand the implications of
different study designs, and what can and cannot be determined about
causative links.
Other Groups
Government
Government bodies, especially Health Departments, but also others
including Departments of Education, Employment etc.
Insurance Providers
Health insurance companies or other health funders as appropriate in
each country.
Organizations
National organizations and societies whose members or target audience
may have continence risks (such as organizations of people with
neurological diseases), or whose members may have health care
responsibilities for potentially incontinent people (doctors, nurses and
other health professionals). Each group will need a message specifically
targeted to their own areas of interest, to ensure they take an active
role in prevention.
International Organizations
International organizations such as the International Continence Society
(ICS), World Health Organization (WHO), International Consultation on
Incontinence (Monaco 1998), and other health related organizations all
need to work together to ensure a strong and consistent message is
disseminated.
Industry
Companies which produce products to treat or manage incontinence should
be encouraged to use their considerable communication channels to
promote the prevention of incontinence. |
