Mp12-11 Barriers to Accessing Medical Care Experienced by Women With Urinary Incontinence Living in Rural Communities

You have accessJournal of UrologyHealth Services Research: Practice Patterns, Quality of Life and Shared Decision Making I (MP12)1 May 2024MP12-11 BARRIERS TO ACCESSING MEDICAL CARE EXPERIENCED BY WOMEN WITH URINARY INCONTINENCE LIVING IN RURAL COMMUNITIES Karla Rebullar, Bryn Launer, Rosa Park, Melissa R. Kaufman, Roger Dmochowski, W. Stuart Reynolds, and Elisabeth M. Sebesta Karla RebullarKarla Rebullar , Bryn LaunerBryn Launer , Rosa ParkRosa Park , Melissa R. KaufmanMelissa R. Kaufman , Roger DmochowskiRoger Dmochowski , W. Stuart ReynoldsW. Stuart Reynolds , and Elisabeth M. SebestaElisabeth M. Sebesta View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/01.JU.0001009376.16371.fb.11AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Urinary incontinence (UI) affects half of adult women in the United States. Studies show only 30% seek care for UI, lower than the rate of seeing a provider for any reason, implicating barriers that are distinct from overall healthcare access. Living in a rural community has been associated with negative health outcomes, but little is known about barriers for those with UI in rural areas. Our goal is to assess the barriers in care for women with UI living in rural versus non-rural areas. METHODS: Patients were recruited from our clinic and from the local area via ResearchMatch to complete questionnaires on demographics, urinary symptoms, and barriers to care for UI. Rurality was defined using home zip code according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) definition via the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) Data Files.1 Rates of delaying medical care for UI and reasons for delay were compared between women living in rural versus non-rural areas using Chi-square test. RESULTS: 1,096 respondents completed the study. Mean age was 48.5 years, and majority was white, non-Hispanic (68%). 176 (16%) women identified living in rural areas. UI severity assessed via mean ICIQ-UI SF score was not different between rural and non-rural women. 580 (52%) of women reported delaying seeking care, treatment, or surgery for UI. There were trends, albeit non-significant towards more rural women reporting delaying care. Reasons for delaying included the cost of treatment (51%), thinking the condition was not treatable (46%), fear (26%), and work obligations (25%). Rural women more often reported that the cost and distance to travel, and not having transportation were significant barriers to accessing care. See Table 1. CONCLUSIONS: Majority reported delaying seeking care, treatment, or surgery. Issues with travel were significant barriers identified that disproportionately affected rural women, suggesting that travel to UI specialists is prohibitive to getting the care they need. Telehealth, community outreach, and incentivizing providers who specialize in women's pelvic health to work in rural communities may help bridge some of these gaps in care. Source of Funding: Vanderbilt Center for Health Services Research, Health Equity Research Grant © 2024 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 211Issue 5SMay 2024Page: e205 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2024 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.Metrics Author Information Karla Rebullar More articles by this author Bryn Launer More articles by this author Rosa Park More articles by this author Melissa R. Kaufman More articles by this author Roger Dmochowski More articles by this author W. Stuart Reynolds More articles by this author Elisabeth M. Sebesta More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...