Baseline Knowledge of Stress Urinary Incontinence Among Urogynecology Patients

Overview

The goal of this prospective study is to assess whether a standardized educational flyer (pamphlet) improves knowledge about stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in adult females attending a urogynecology clinic. It will also explore how participant characteristics relate to treatment preferences. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does reading a standardized SUI patient information flyer improve participants' knowledge of SUI? How do patient characteristics influence treatment preferences for SUI? Participants will: Complete a self-administered questionnaire assessing knowledge of SUI, including its definition, pathophysiology, risk factors, natural history, and treatment options (this questionnaire is not part of standard care). Review a standardized SUI educational flyer during their clinic visit. Complete the same questionnaire again after reading the pamphlet to assess any change in knowledge. Questionnaire scores before and after reading the flyer will be compared. Secondary outcomes include participant characteristics and reported treatment preferences.

This prospective study will recruit female adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) presenting to a urogynecology clinic at Sunnybrook Health Centre. Consenting participants will complete a self-administered questionnaire (15-item questionnaire) assessing knowledge related to SUI definition, pathophysiology, risk factors, natural history, and available treatment options. Demographic and clinical data, including age, education level, parity, menopausal status, symptom severity, and prior exposure to SUI treatment, SUI treatment preferences and level of education, will be collected. A standardized patient information SUI flyer by the American Urogynecology Society (AUGS) will be given to the participant to read. Right after reading the flyer, participants will be re-tested with the same self-administered questionnaire (before leaving the clinic visit). The primary outcome will be the change in the questionnaire (SUI knowledge) total score. Secondary outcomes include patient characteristics and their treatment preferences. Descriptive statistics will be used. Participants who consent to being contacted for study-related updates will be asked to provide their preferred contact information. Participant contact information will be stored separately from study data in a secure, password-protected electronic file accessible only to authorized members of the research team. Each participant will be assigned a unique study ID, and identifying information will not be linked to questionnaire responses or study outcomes.