Document Type

Thesis - NSU Access Only

Title

How Physical Therapists Inquire and Respond to Women with Urinary Incontinence

Authors

Marie S. Valdes, Nova Southeastern University

Degree Name

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

Department

College of Health Care Sciences - Physical Therapy Department

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1998

Publisher

Nova Southeastern University

NSUWorks Citation

Marie S. Valdes. 1998. How Physical Therapists Inquire and Respond to Women with Urinary Incontinence. Master's thesis. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Health Care Sciences - Physical Therapy Department. (148)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_pt_stuetd/148.

Abstract

Purpose: To identify how physical therapists inquire and respond to women with urinary incontinence.

Subjects: 111 Florida licensed physical therapists.

Methodology: Self-designed survey mailed to 250 Florida licensed physical therapists, pilot survey mailed to 25 of the list of 275 Florida licensed physical therapists. Actual survey return rate 115/250, four excluded, n=111. Frequencies were calculated for all variables. Odds ratio and chi-square analysis performed for the comparative analysis.

Results: From all the surveyed physical therapists in Florida, 19.6% asked every woman patient about urinary incontinence and 80.4% did not ask. Exploring the physical therapists clinical settings, 32% of the physical therapists employed in an outpatient clinic asked every woman patient about urinary incontinence and 0% of all the physical therapists in a hospital setting asked. Physical therapists' actions after learning about a woman's urinary incontinence problem: 27.6%, referred to a doctor, 17.1%, referred patients to a properly trained physical therapists, and 14.3% would not address the problem.

Conclusion: Results show a gap in physical therapists' screening skills that needs to be filled. By physical therapist filling in gap, there will be an increase knowledge of patients' needs and concerns, the base of physical therapists' clinical decision making model.

Disciplines

Physical Therapy