Quality standard
Quality statement 4: Conservative management – temporary containment products
Quality statement 4: Conservative management – temporary containment products
Quality statement
Men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) who have urinary incontinence are offered a choice of temporary containment products, as part of their initial assessment.
Rationale
Temporary containment products (for example, pads or collecting devices) help manage incontinence, offering security and comfort. These products can help men to continue their normal daily activities, including social activities, and therefore improve quality of life.
It is important that a choice of suitable containment products is offered by a healthcare professional as early as possible, even if there is no definite diagnosis and agreed plan on how to manage the symptoms. Containment products only help manage the urinary incontinence – they are not a cure and should not generally be a long-term solution, unless other treatments don't help or are unsuitable.
Quality measures
Structure
Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that men with LUTS who have urinary incontinence are offered a choice of temporary containment products, as part of their initial assessment
Data source: Local data collection.
Process
Proportion of men with LUTS who have urinary incontinence who receive temporary containment products, as part of their initial assessment.
Numerator – the number of men in the denominator who receive a temporary containment product, as part of their initial assessment.
Denominator – the number of men who present with LUTS and urinary incontinence.
Data source: Local data collection.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers ensure that local arrangements are in place for men with LUTS who have urinary incontinence to be offered a choice of temporary containment products, as part of their initial assessment.
Healthcare professionals ensure that men with LUTS who have urinary incontinence are offered a choice of temporary containment products, as part of their initial assessment.
Commissioners ensure that they commission services with local arrangements to offer men with LUTS who have urinary incontinence a choice of temporary containment products, as part of their initial assessment.
Men with LUTS who have urinary incontinence (involuntary leakage of urine) are offered a choice of temporary containment products (for example, absorbent pads or a collecting bag) at their initial assessment to help them manage their symptoms.
Source guidance
Lower urinary tract symptoms in men: management. NICE guideline CG97 (2010), recommendations 1.3.2 (key priority for implementation) and 1.3.3
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
Temporary containment products
Containment products are designed to contain or divert the urine leaked during an episode of incontinence and are widely used by men with LUTS and incontinence. Products include absorbent pads (pads worn next to the body, pants with integral pads, bed pads), external collection devices (sheath appliances, pubic pressure urinals), disposable and reusable pads. Based on expert consensus, temporary containment products are used for a maximum of 3 months, by which time their use should be reviewed and a management plan should be in place.
Initial assessment
Initial assessment refers to the first assessment within the assessment process, carried out in any setting by a healthcare professional without specific training in managing LUTS in men. The inclusion of 'as part of their initial assessment' in this quality statement on conservative management is based on expert consensus to reflect the need for containment products to be offered as soon as possible. Based on expert consensus, the initial assessment may involve more than 1 consultation but normally no more than 3 consultations.
Equality and diversity considerations
When offering a choice of temporary containment products as part of the initial assessment, healthcare professionals should provide information about the products that reflects any religious, ethnic, transgender or cultural needs.