Education of employees of primary health care unit about physical therapy in urinary incontinence: report of experience

Abstract

Urinary incontinence (UI) is considered a public health problem that should be firstly approached in the primary care units (PCU). Educational programs target to professionals who work in these units are a key component in the management of this condition. The aim of this study was to report the experience of the "Caring for Who Cares", a project developed in a PCU aimed at educating employees about UI. The educational program was carried out as a dynamic, with theoretical and practical character, lasting 2 hours. The 28 participants were divided into 2 groups. Each group participated in the program on different days so that the usual activities of the PCU could be maintained. Issues such as types of UI, risk factors, preventive and therapeutic measures, especially urinary and bowel habits and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training, were discussed. The participants reported being more attentive to their urinary habits after the educational program; some of them had incorporated exercises for the PFM. There were also an increasing number of users referred to the physiotherapy care service. Therefore, the project successfully educated the employees of the PCU for their own care and allowed the implementation of UI preventative and treatment programs in this unit. This experience may be helpful to other professionals when implementing the physical therapy assistance for women with UI in PCU.