Influence of Pre-Examination Counseling in Women with Incontinence Undergoing Urodynamic Assessments: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the influence of preexamination intimation and counseling of women with urinary incontinence on physical and psychological discomforts during urodynamic assessment. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-two women with urinary incontinence, who underwent urodynamic assessment, were studied prospectively. A questionnaire survey was used to study their awareness about the nature of the assessment, extent of physical discomfort, mental stress, and the pain level during the assessment and to determine if pre-examination counseling had any effect on the level of pain or distress. RESULTS: Most patients felt that the urodynamic examination was important, but noted lack of detailed information. Although the patients were anxious, most were not in distress. There was no correlation between prior information and the extent of pain or distress. However, older women reported less pain during the procedure compared to the younger women. The results also indicated that the patients were comfortable with familiar doctors, and that most preferred a female doctor. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm the importance of pre-examination counseling in women before undergoing urodynamic examination to minimize the symptoms of anxiety and shame, which may indirectly result in fewer artefacts and better interpretation of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]