Perioperative Mobile Telehealth Program for Post-Prostatectomy Incontinence: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Perioperative pelvic floor muscle training can hasten recovery of bladder control and reduce severity of urinary incontinence following radical prostatectomy. Nevertheless, most men undergoing prostatectomy do not receive this training. The purpose of this trial was to test the effectiveness of interactive mobile telehealth (mHealth) to deliver an evidence-based perioperative behavioral training program for post-prostatectomy incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a 3-site, 2-arm, randomized trial (2014-2019). Men with prostate cancer scheduled to undergo radical prostatectomy were randomized to a perioperative behavioral program (education, pelvic floor muscle training, progressive exercises, bladder control techniques) or a general prostate cancer education control condition, both delivered by mHealth for 1-4 weeks preoperatively and 8 weeks postoperatively. The primary outcome was time to continence following surgery measured by the ICIQ (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire) Short-Form. Secondary outcomes measured at 6, 9 and 12 months included Urinary Incontinence Subscale of Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite; pad use; International Prostate Symptom Score QoL Question and Global Perception of Improvement. RESULTS: A total of 245 men (ages 42-78 years; mean=61.7) were randomized. Survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier estimate showed no statistically significant between-group differences in time to continence. Analyses at 6 months indicated no statistically significant between-group differences in ICIQ scores (mean=7.1 vs 7.0, p=0.7) or other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: mHealth delivery of a perioperative program to reduce post-prostatectomy incontinence was not more effective than an mHealth education program. More research is needed to assess whether perioperative mHealth programs can be a helpful addition to standard prostate cancer care.

A mobile telehealth program for behavioral treatment of urinary incontinence in women veterans: Development and pilot evaluation of MyHealtheBladder.

AIM: To develop and pilot test an interactive mobile telehealth program (mHealth) for behavioral treatment of women veterans with urinary incontinence (UI). METHODS: We developed an evidence-based 8-week behavioral mHealth program, MyHealtheBladder, with input from women veterans, behavioral medicine and health education experts, and clinical providers treating UI in the VA system. The program was story-based and included pelvic floor muscle exercises, bladder control strategies, fluid management, risk factor reduction, and self-monitoring. Participants were women veterans seeking outpatient treatment for UI occurring at least twice weekly. The primary efficacy estimate was the change in UI frequency, volume and impact on the quality of life as measured by the validated International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF; range: 0-21, 2.5 points for minimal clinically important difference [MCID]). RESULTS: We enrolled 29 women veterans (ages 29-77 years; mean = 54.4 ± 10.4), including 15 (52%) African-American women, 13 (45%) women with high school education, and 16 (55%) with a college degree. Twenty of 29 women (69%) completed all 8 weeks of the intervention with a 97% adherence rate to the daily sessions among completers. We found reductions in ICIQ-SF scores from a mean 12.6 ± 3.9 at baseline to 10.4 ± 4.11 at 5 weeks, to 8.7 ± 4.0 at the end of the 8-week intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Women veterans using an 8-week behavioral mHealth program for the treatment of UI had symptom improvements that exceeded the MCID for the ICIQ-SF. Our next step involves comparing the effectiveness of MyHealtheBladder to usual care in a larger clinical trial.