Pulmonary Specialist-Supported Health Coaching Delivered by Lay Personnel Improves Receipt of Quality Care for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Half of people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) do not receive high-quality, evidenced-based care as described in international guidelines. We conducted secondary data analysis of a previously published study to assess the ability of a model of lay health coaching to improve provision of guideline-based care in a primary care setting. Methods: As part of a randomized controlled trial, we recruited English- and Spanish-speaking patients with moderate to severe COPD from primary care clinics serving a low-income, predominantly African American population. Participants were randomized to receive usual care or 9 months of health coaching from primary care personnel informed by a pulmonary specialist practitioner. Outcome measures included prescription of appropriate inhaler therapy, participation in COPD-related education, engagement with specialty care, prescription of smoking cessation medications, and patient ratings of the quality of care. Results: Baseline quality measures did not differ between study arms. At 9 months, coached patients were more likely (increase of 9.3% over usual care; P=0.014) to have received guideline-based inhalers compared to those in usual care. Coached patients were more likely to engage with pulmonary specialty care (increase of 8.3% over usual care with at least 1 visit; P=0.04) and educational classes (increase of 5.3% over usual care; P=0.03). Receipt of smoking cessation medications among patients smoking at baseline in the health coaching group increased 21.1 percentage points more than in usual care, a difference near statistical significance (P=0.06). Conclusions: Health coaching may improve the provision of quality chronic illness care for conditions such as COPD.

Diabetes distress mediates the relationship between depressive symptoms and glycaemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes: Findings from a multi-site diabetes peer support intervention.

AIMS: Diabetes distress is positively associated with HbA1c and may mediate the relationship between depressive symptoms and HbA1c . This study examined these relationships in a geographically, socioeconomically, and ethnically diverse sample of adults with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Using data from five US sites evaluating peer support for diabetes management (n = 917), Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) examined whether diabetes distress (four items from Diabetes Distress Scale) mediated the relationship between depressive symptoms (PHQ-8) and HbA1c . Sites compared interventions of varying content and duration with control conditions. Time from Baseline Assessment to Final Assessment varied from six to 18 months. Site characteristics were controlled by entering site as a covariate along with age, sex, education, diabetes duration, insulin use, and intervention/control assignment. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms, diabetes distress, and HbA1c were all intercorrelated cross-sectionally and from Baseline to Final Assessment (rs from 0.10 to 0.57; ps <0.05). In SEM analyses, diabetes distress at Final Assessment mediated the relationship between Baseline depressive symptoms and HbA1c at Final Assessment (indirect effect: b = 0.031, p < 0.001), controlling for Baseline HbA1c and covariates. Parallel analysis of whether depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between Baseline diabetes distress and HbA1c at Final Assessment was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: In this diverse sample, diabetes distress mediated the influence of depressive symptoms on HbA1c but the reverse, depressive symptoms mediating the effect of distress, was not found. These findings add to the evidence that diabetes distress is a worthy intervention target to improve clinical status and quality of life among individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Interpersonal violence and painful bladder symptoms in community-dwelling midlife to older women.

BACKGROUND: Women are more likely to present with genitourinary complaints immediately after exposure to interpersonal violence, but little is known about the long-term effects of violence on women's urologic health, including their susceptibility to bladder pain and infections. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether lifetime interpersonal violence exposure and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with the prevalence or severity of painful bladder symptoms and a greater lifetime history of antibiotic-treated urinary tract infections in community-dwelling midlife and older women. STUDY DESIGN: We examined the cross-sectional data from a multiethnic cohort of community-dwelling women aged 40 to 80 years enrolled in a northern California integrated healthcare system. Women completed structured self-report questionnaires about their past exposure to physical and verbal/emotional intimate partner violence and sexual assault. The symptoms of PTSD were assessed using the PTSD checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition, Civilian version. Additional structured self-report measures assessed the current bladder pain, other lower urinary tract symptoms, and the history of antibiotic-treated urinary tract infections. Multivariable logistic regression models examined self-reported interpersonal violence exposure history and current PTSD symptoms in relation to current bladder pain and antibiotic-treated urinary tract infection history. RESULTS: Among 1974 women (39% non-Latina White, 21% Black, 20% Latina, and 19% Asian), 22% reported lifetime interpersonal violence exposure, 22% reported bladder pain, and 60% reported a history of ever having an antibiotic-treated urinary tract infection. Lifetime experiences of sexual assault (odds ratio, 1.39; [95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.88]) and current PTSD symptoms (odds ratio, 1.96; [95% confidence interval, 1.45-2.65]) were associated with current bladder pain. A lifetime experience of physical intimate partner violence was associated with having a urinary tract infection at any time in life previously (odds ratio, 1.38; [95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.86]), as was emotional intimate partner violence (odds ratio, 1.88; [95% confidence interval, 1.43-2.48]), sexual assault (odds ratio, 1.44; [95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.91]), and current PTSD symptoms (odds ratio, 1.54; [95% confidence interval, 1.16-2.03]). CONCLUSION: In this ethnically diverse, community-based cohort, lifetime interpersonal violence exposures and current PTSD symptoms were independently associated with current bladder pain and the lifetime history of antibiotic-treated urinary tract infections in midlife to older women. The findings suggest that interpersonal violence and PTSD symptoms may be underrecognized markers of risk for urologic pain and infections in women, highlighting a need for trauma-informed care of these issues.

Association of Patients' Past Misdiagnosis Experiences with Trust in Their Current Physician Among Japanese Adults.

BACKGROUND: Previous qualitative research has described that previous misdiagnoses may reduce patient and their families' trust in healthcare. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the associations between patients or family members' misdiagnosis experiences and trust in their physician. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Adult Japanese people with non-communicable diseases (cancer, diabetes, depression, heart disease, and connective tissue disease), recruited using a web-based panel survey. MAIN MEASURES: Surveys assessed the patient and the patient's family's experience with misdiagnosis. Trust in the respondent's current physician was measured using the Japanese version of the 11-item Trust in Physician Scale. KEY RESULTS: Among 661 patients (response rate 30.1%), 23.2% had a personal history of misdiagnosis and 20.4% had a family history of misdiagnosis. In a multivariable-adjusted general linear model, patients or a family members' misdiagnosis experiences were associated with lower confidence in their current physician (mean difference -4.3, 95%CI -8.1 to -0.49 and -3.2, 95%CI -6.3 to -0.05, respectively). The impact of having a personal and a family member's experience of misdiagnosis on trust was additive, with no evidence of interaction (P for interaction = 0.494). CONCLUSIONS: The patient's or family members' misdiagnosis experiences reduced trust in the patient's current physicians. Interventions specifically targeting misdiagnosed patients are needed to restore trust.

Implementation and Impact of the Pulmonary Specialist Health Coach Consultation Model to Improve Care for Patients with COPD.

BACKGROUND: Health coaching has emerged as an important tool for improving patient-centered care in primary care practice but has not specifically been evaluated for patients whose care is shared by a primary care provider (PCP) and specialist. METHODS: As part of a nine-month randomized controlled trial comparing health coaching to usual care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the authors developed the Pulmonary Specialist Health Coach Consultation (PuSHCon). In this novel model, health coaches facilitated pulmonary specialist consultations for patients with COPD without the need for an in-person visit. Observational data from the randomized controlled trial were analyzed to study the implementation, adoption, and impact of the PuSHCon model for 70 of 92 patients randomized to the health coaching arm and for 17 of 100 patients in the control arm (who received PuSHCon after the end of the study). Quality of care was measured using the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC). RESULTS: Of 87 patients who participated in PuSHCon, 74 (85.1%) received one or more specialist recommendations, of which 86.8% were implemented. Only 12 patients (13.8%) subsequently required an in-person visit with the PuSHCon specialist. The proportion of PuSHCon participants receiving guideline-concordant care increased from 64.7% to 94.1% (p < 0.001). The mean PACIC item score increased from 3.48 to 3.74 (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The PuSHCon model facilitated consultations that resulted in changes in care, which were implemented for a majority of patients. Guideline-concordant care and patient-reported quality of care increased over nine months. This model could potentially be expanded to help patients with other chronic conditions when PCPs and specialists share patient care.

"She Showed Me How to Help Myself": A Qualitative Study of Health Coaching for Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To explore attitudes and beliefs about the role of health coaching for vulnerable populations, including people experiencing substance use or homelessness. METHODS: From May-July 2016, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with patients, primary care clinicians, pulmonary specialists, and health coaches participating in a study of health coaching for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We developed a codebook and applied it in Atlas.ti, generating themes for frequently occurring codes. RESULTS: All stakeholder groups (n=20 patients, 11 primary care clinicians, three specialists, and two health coaches), reported improved COPD management and behavior change, even for patients experiencing substance use or homelessness. Clinicians observed greater symptom awareness and prioritization of COPD during the medical visit. The strength of the health coaching relationship and flexibility of the role were key to its effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Lay health coaching may provide a model to meet the needs of highly vulnerable populations with COPD.

Lay Health Coaching to Increase Appropriate Inhaler Use in COPD: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: Poor adherence to medications is more prevalent for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than for other chronic conditions and is associated with unfavorable health outcomes. Few interventions have successfully improved adherence for COPD medications; none of these use unlicensed health care personnel. We explored the efficacy of lay health coaches to improve inhaler adherence and technique. METHODS: Within a randomized controlled trial, we recruited English- and Spanish-speaking patients with moderate to severe COPD from urban, public primary care clinics serving a low-income, predominantly African American population. Participants were randomized to receive 9 months of health coaching or usual care. Outcome measures included self-reported adherence to inhaled controller medications in the past 7 days and observed technique for all inhalers. We used generalized linear models, controlling for baseline values and clustering by site. RESULTS: Baseline adherence and inhaler technique were uniformly poor and did not differ by study arm. At 9 months, health-coached patients reported a greater number of days of adherence compared with usual care patients (6.4 vs 5.5 days; adjusted P = .02) and were more likely to have used their controller inhalers as prescribed for 5 of the last 7 days (90% vs 69%; adjusted P = .008). They were more than 3 times as likely to demonstrate perfect technique for all inhaler devices (24% vs 7%; adjusted P = .01) and mastery of essential steps (40% vs 11%; adjusted P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Health coaching may provide a scalable model that can improve care for people living with COPD.

Correction to: Health coaching to improve self-management and quality of life for low income patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

In the original article [1], the authors reference their intention to use the 'Morisky Medication Adherence Scale'.

Strategies for recruitment and retention of underrepresented populations with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for a clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Recruitment and retention are two significant barriers in research, particularly for historically underrepresented groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, patients who are low-income, or people with substance use or mental health issues. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death and disproportionately affects many underrepresented groups. The lack of representation of these groups in research limits the generalizability and applicability of clinical research and results. In this paper we describe our experience and rates of recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups for the Aides in Respiration (AIR) COPD Health Coaching Study. METHODS: A priori design strategies included minimizing exclusion criteria, including patients in the study process, establishing partnerships with the community clinics, and ensuring that the health coaching intervention was flexible enough to accommodate patient needs. RESULTS: Challenges to recruitment included lack of spirometric data in patient records, space constraints at the clinic sites, barriers to patient access to clinic sites, lack of current patient contact information and poor patient health. Of 282 patients identified as eligible, 192 (68%) were enrolled in the study and 158 (82%) completed the study. Race, gender, educational attainment, severity of disease, health literacy, and clinic site were not associated with recruitment or retention. However, older patients were less likely to enroll in the study and patients who used home oxygen or had more than one hospitalization during the study period were less likely to complete the study. Three key strategies to maximize recruitment and retention were identified during the study: incorporating the patient perspective, partnering with the community clinics, and building patient rapport. CONCLUSIONS: While the AIR study included design features to maximize the recruitment and retention of patients from underrepresented groups, additional challenges were encountered and responded to during the study. We also identified three key strategies recommended for future studies of COPD and similar conditions. Incorporating the approaches described into future studies may increase participation rates from underrepresented groups, providing results that can be more accurately applied to patients who carry a disparate burden of disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at ClinicalTrial.gov at identifier NCT02234284 on August 12, 2014. Descriptor number: 2.9 Racial, ethnic, or social disparities in lung disease and treatment.

Associations of Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Assault, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Menopause Symptoms Among Midlife and Older Women.

Importance: Little is known about the prevalence of traumatic exposures among midlife and older women and the association of these traumatic exposures with health issues. Objective: To examine the associations of intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual assault, and posttraumatic stress with menopause symptoms among midlife and older women. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cross-sectional analysis of data from a multiethnic cohort of 2016 women 40 to 80 years of age in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California health care system was conducted from November 15, 2008, to March 30, 2012. Statistical analysis was conducted from June 8, 2016, to September 6, 2017. Exposures: Lifetime physical or emotional IPV, sexual assault, and current symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, assessed with standardized questionnaires. Main Outcomes and Measures: Difficulty sleeping, vasomotor symptoms, and vaginal symptoms, assessed with standardized questionnaires. Results: Among the 2016 women enrolled, the mean (SD) age was 60.5 (9.5) years, and 792 of 2011 with race/ethnicity data (39.4)% were non-Latina white (403 [20.0%] Latina, 429 [21.3%] black, and 387 [19.2%] Asian). Lifetime emotional IPV was reported by 423 women (21.0%), lifetime physical IPV was reported by 316 women (15.7%), sexual assault was reported by 382 women (18.9%), and 450 of 2000 women (22.5%) had current clinically significant symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. In multivariable analyses adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, educational level, body mass index, menopause status, hormone therapy, and parity, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder were associated with difficulty sleeping (odds ratio [OR], 3.02; 95% CI, 2.22-4.09), vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes: OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.34-2.12; night sweats: OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.37-2.15), and vaginal symptoms (vaginal dryness: OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.37-2.18; vaginal irritation: OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.66-2.93; pain with intercourse: OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.57-2.98). Emotional IPV was associated with difficulty sleeping (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.09-1.71), night sweats (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.19-1.89), and pain with intercourse (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.14-2.25). Physical IPV was associated with night sweats (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.03-1.72). Sexual assault was associated with vaginal symptoms (vaginal dryness: OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.10-1.82; vaginal irritation: OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.04-1.95; pain with intercourse: OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.00-2.06). Conclusions and Relevance: Lifetime history of IPV or sexual assault and current clinically significant symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder are common and are associated with menopause symptoms. These findings highlight the need for greater recognition of these exposures by clinicians caring for midlife and older women.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Health Coaching for Vulnerable Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

RATIONALE: Socioeconomically disadvantaged patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often face barriers to evidence-based care that are difficult to address in public care settings with limited resources. OBJECTIVES: To determine the benefit of health coaching for patients with moderate to severe COPD relative to usual care. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 9 months of health coaching versus usual care for English- or Spanish-speaking patients at least 40 years of age with moderate to severe COPD. Primary outcomes were COPD-related quality of life and the dyspnea subscale of the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were self-efficacy for managing COPD, exercise capacity (6-min walk test), and number of COPD exacerbations. Additional outcomes were COPD symptoms, lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s percent predicted), smoking status, bed days owing to COPD, quality of care (Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care), COPD knowledge, and symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire). Outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations were assessed by review of medical records. Generalized linear modeling was used to adjust for baseline values and account for clustering by clinic. RESULTS: Of 192 patients enrolled, 158 (82%) completed 9 months of follow-up. There were no significant differences between study arms for the primary or secondary outcomes. At 9 months, patients in the coached group reported better quality of care (mean Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care score, 3.30 vs. 3.18; adjusted P = 0.02) and were less likely to report symptoms of moderate to severe depression (Patient Health Questionnaire score, ≥15) than those in the usual care arm (6% vs. 20%; adjusted P = 0.01). During the study, patients in the coaching arm had 48% fewer hospitalizations related to COPD (0.27/patient/yr vs. 0.52/patient/yr), but this difference was not significant in the adjusted analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These results help inform expectations regarding the limitations and benefits of health coaching for patients with COPD. They may be useful to health policy experts in assessing the potential value of reimbursement and incentives for health coaching-type activities for patients with chronic disease. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02234284).

Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO): a new model for community health worker training and support.

More than 50,000 community health workers (CHWs) are employed in the United States (US), a country with no national accreditation or certification program. In the US, CHWs are trained, formally and/or on-the-job, and rarely is long-term mentoring included. We developed a CHW training program using the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model™, distance education using video teleconferencing to support case-based learning, and mentoring of healthcare providers from medically underserved communities. We describe the ECHO model for CHW training and mentoring using case examples and pre/post-surveys from our obesity prevention and addiction recovery programs. Using the ECHO model to train and support CHWs offers advantages over traditional training methods, and can be adapted in other countries to support CHWs to improve health in their communities.

What do health coaches do? Direct observation of health coach activities during medical and patient-health coach visits at 3 federally qualified health centers.

OBJECTIVE: To examine activities of health coaches during patient medical visits and when meeting one-on-one with patients at 3 urban federally qualified health centers. METHODS: Encounters were videotaped and transcribed. Data was analyzed using a matrix analysis approach that allowed a priori identification of expected categories of activity, based on the health coach training model and previously developed conceptual framework, which were modified based on activities observed. RESULTS: A total of 10 medical visits (patient, clinician and health coach), and 8 patient-coach visits were recorded. We identified 9 categories common to both medical and patient-coach visits and 2 categories unique to the medical visit. While observed activities were generally consistent with expected categories, some activities were observed infrequently or not at all. We also observed additional activity categories, including information gathering and personal conversation. The average amount of time spent on some categories of coaching activities differed substantially between medical visits and patient-coach visits. CONCLUSIONS: Health coaching activities observed differed in several respects to those expected, and differed between medical visits and coaching only visits. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: These results provide insights into health coaching behaviors that can be used to inform training and improve utilization of health coaches in practice.

Health coaching to improve self-management and quality of life for low income patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) severely hinders quality of life for those affected and is costly to the health care system. Care gaps in areas such as pharmacotherapy, inhaler technique, and knowledge of disease are prevalent, particularly for vulnerable populations served by community clinics. Non-professionally licensed health coaches have been shown to be an effective and cost-efficient solution in bridging care gaps and facilitating self-management for patients with other chronic diseases, but no research to date has explored their efficacy in improving care for people living with COPD. METHOD: This is multi-site, single blinded, randomized controlled trial evaluates the efficacy of health coaches to facilitate patient self-management of disease and improve quality of life for patients with moderate to severe COPD. Spirometry, survey, and an exercise capacity test are conducted at baseline and at 9 months. A short survey is administered by phone at 3 and 6 months post-enrollment. The nine month health coaching intervention focuses on enhancing disease understanding and symptom awareness, improving use of inhalers; making personalized plans to increase physical activity, smoking cessation, or otherwise improve disease management; and facilitating care coordination. DISCUSSION: The results of this study will provide evidence regarding the efficacy and feasibility of health coaching to improve self-management and quality of life for urban underserved patients with moderate to severe COPD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02234284 . Registered 12 August 2014.

Costs for a health coaching intervention for chronic care management.

OBJECTIVES: Health coaches can help patients gain knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage their chronic conditions. Coaches may be particularly valuable in resource-poor settings, but they are not typically reimbursed by insurance, raising questions about their budgetary impact. STUDY DESIGN: The Health Coaching in Primary Care (HCPC) study was a randomized controlled trial that showed health coaches were effective at helping low-income patients improve control of their type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and/or hyperlipidemia at 12 months compared with usual care. METHODS: We estimated the cost of employing 3 health coaches and mapped these costs to participants. We tested whether the added costs of the coaches were offset by any savings in healthcare utilization within 1 year. Healthcare utilization data were obtained from 5 sources. Multivariate models assessed differences in costs at 1 year controlling for baseline characteristics. RESULTS: Coaches worked an average of 9 hours with each participant over the length of the study. On average, the health coach intervention cost $483 per participant per year. The average healthcare costs for the coaching group was $3207 compared with $3276 for the control group (P = .90). There was no evidence that the coaching intervention saved money at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Health coaches have been shown to improve clinical outcomes related to chronic disease management. We found that employing health coaches adds an additional cost of $483 per patient per year. The data do not suggest that health coaches pay for themselves by reducing healthcare utilization in the first year.

What Happens After Health Coaching? Observational Study 1 Year Following a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: Health coaching is effective for chronic disease self-management in the primary care safety-net setting, but little is known about the persistence of its benefits. We conducted an observational study evaluating the maintenance of improved cardiovascular risk factors following a health coaching intervention. METHODS: We performed a naturalistic follow-up to the Health Coaching in Primary Care Study, a 12-month randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing health coaching to usual care for patients with uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia. Participants were followed up 24 months from RCT baseline. The primary outcome was the proportion at goal for at least 1 measure (hemoglobin A1c, systolic blood pressure, or LDL cholesterol) that had been above goal at enrollment; secondary outcomes included each individual clinical goal. Chi-square tests and paired t-tests compared dichotomous and continuous measures. RESULTS: 290 of 441 participants (65.8%) participated at both 12 and 24 months. The proportion of patients in the coaching arm of the RCT who achieved the primary outcome dropped only slightly from 47.1% at 12 to 45.9% at 24 months (P = .80). The proportion at goal for hemoglobin A1c dropped from 53.4% to 36.2% (P = .03). All other clinical metrics had small, nonsignificant changes between 12 and 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the conclusion that most improved clinical outcomes persisted 1 year after the completion of the health coaching intervention.

Bridging the gap: determinants of undiagnosed or untreated urinary incontinence in women.

BACKGROUND: More than a third of middle-aged or older women suffer from urinary incontinence, but less than half undergo evaluation or treatment for this burdensome condition. With national organizations now including an assessment of incontinence as a quality performance measure, providers and health care organizations have a growing incentive to identify and engage these women who are undiagnosed and untreated. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify clinical and sociodemographic determinants of patient-provider discussion and treatment of incontinence among ethnically diverse, community-dwelling women. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted an observational cohort study from 2003 through 2012 of 969 women aged 40 years and older enrolled in a Northern California integrated health care delivery system who reported at least weekly incontinence. Clinical severity, type, treatment, and discussion of incontinence were assessed by structured questionnaires. Multivariable regression evaluated predictors of discussion and treatment. RESULTS: Mean age of the 969 participants was 59.9 (±9.7) years, and 55% were racial/ethnic minorities (171 black, 233 Latina, 133 Asian or Native American). Fifty-five percent reported discussing their incontinence with a health care provider, 36% within 1 year of symptom onset, and with only 3% indicating that their provider initiated the discussion. More than half (52%) reported being at least moderately bothered by their incontinence. Of these women, 324 (65%) discussed their incontinence with a clinician, with 200 (40%) doing so within 1 year of symptom onset. In a multivariable analysis, women were less likely to have discussed their incontinence if they had a household income < $30,000/y vs ≥ $120,000/y (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.86) or were diabetic (AOR, 0.71, 95% CI, 0.51-0.99). They were more likely to have discussed incontinence if they had clinically severe incontinence (AOR, 3.09, 95% CI, 1.89-5.07), depression (AOR, 1.71, 95% CI, 1.20-2.44), pelvic organ prolapse (AOR, 1.98, 95% CI, 1.13-3.46), or arthritis (AOR, 1.44, 95% CI, 1.06-1.95). Among the subset of women reporting at least moderate subjective bother from incontinence, black race (AOR, 0.45, 95% CI, 0.25-0.81, vs white race) and income < $30,000/y (AOR, 0.37, 95% CI, 0.17-0.81, vs ≥ $120,000/y) were associated with a reduced likelihood of discussing incontinence. Those with clinically severe incontinence (AOR, 2.93, 95% CI, 1.53-5.61, vs low to moderate incontinence by the Sandvik scale) were more likely to discuss it with a clinician. CONCLUSION: Even in an integrated health care system, lower income was associated with decreased rates of patient-provider discussion of incontinence among women with at least weekly incontinence. Despite being at increased risk of incontinence, diabetic women were also less likely to have discussed incontinence or received care. Findings provide support for systematic screening of women to overcome barriers to evaluation and treatment.