AGE Platform Europe: Ground-breaking study on outcome measures creates fresh hope for improved standards of care for people with incontinence
A ground-breaking consensus-based study has identified for the very first time what a set of outcome measures and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) might look like, that care providers, health and social care policy makers and payers can use to guide the delivery of daily continence management and evaluate the improvement in standards over time. The findings were launched today in Rome at the 7th Global Forum on Incontinence (GFI), on the topic of: ’Driving outcomes in continence care – creating a win-win for patients, carers and health systems’.
Commented Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General of AGE Platform Europe:
“Given the growing burden that incontinence represents for an ageing population, AGE Platform Europe welcomes the output of this study as a useful source of inspiration on what can be done to improve the quality of care that people receive, many of whom are dependent on toileting and containment strategies to live independent, dignified lives.”
Explains Dr Adrian Wagg, Professor of Healthy Ageing at the University of Alberta, Chair of the expert research panel and Chair of the GFI:
“There are many types of incontinence, and while outcome measures for over active bladder have been produced, nothing currently exists for the daily management of incontinence. This study has identified the type of outcomes upon which we should focus and has produced tangible KPIs which, if embedded in quality frameworks, will help to advance standards of care. Furthermore, because of the methods used in their creation, we know that the KPIs are fully endorsed by both those affected by incontinence and those involved in tackling it.”
Concluded Mattias Abrahamsson, Vice President, Incontinence Care Global Hygiene Category, Essity:
“We hope the output from this study will make a tangible contribution to the improvement of care provision for people living with incontinence and be adopted by national health and social care systems across the globe. It will give care providers and policy makers for the first time, clear outcomes to aim for, and a way to assess continuous improvement for people living with incontinence. In addition, it will facilitate the creation of a powerful bank of benchmarking data to provide the basis for value based health care procurement of toileting and containment strategies.”
