Screening and Treating Urinary Incontinence in Primary Care: A Missed Opportunity. OBM Geriat 2023;7(4)
Date
01/01/2023Pubmed ID
38567050Pubmed Central ID
PMC10986360DOI
10.21926/obm.geriatr.2304252Abstract
More than 60% of adult women in the United States have urinary incontinence (UI), with the prevalence increasing to over 80% in women over age 65. Despite its high prevalence, most patients do not seek care and few clinicians screen for UI. The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey queries patients about satisfaction with their provider's discussion and management of UI, but formal recommendations about screening, diagnosis, and treatment are lacking. This review presents a practical algorithm for primary care providers to incorporate management of UI into routine preventive care for women, and outlines UI prevalence, risk factors, screening, and non-surgical treatment options.