To what extent are national guidelines for the management of urinary incontinence in women adhered? Data from a national audit

The aim of this study was to assess the degree of adherence to the current National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on the management of urinary incontinence (UI) in women. All NHS trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were eligible to participate. A web-based data collection form aligned to the NICE guidelines was constructed for the study. All data submitted to the audit were anonymous and access to the web-tool was password-protected for confidentiality. The study concludes that older women are less likely to receive NICE compliant management. Adherence varies according to recommendation. There needs to be concentration on evidence-based community provision of care by competent and interested clinicians before the aims of the NICE guidelines are met.