Attendance at Prescribed Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy in a Diverse, Urban Urogynecology Population.

BACKGROUND

Pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) is a common and effective treatment for several pelvic floor disorders, but there is limited knowledge about adherence to the therapy or what factors influence attendance.

OBJECTIVE

To determine rates of PFPT attendance (initiation and completion) as well as correlates of PFPT attendance.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort analysis.

SETTING

Urban outpatient clinics at a tertiary medical center treating women with pelvic floor disorders.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients prescribed PFPT during the time period January 1, 2014, through January 1, 2015.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Number of PFPT visits recommended and attended; diagnoses associated with PFPT referral.

RESULTS

Two-thirds of participants (66%; 118/180) initiated PFPT but less than one-third (29%; 52/180) completed the full treatment course. On univariate analysis, age, body mass index, diagnosis requiring PFPT treatment, marital or employment status, insurance type, number of comorbidities, incontinence status on examination, and stage of prolapse did not differ between PFPT initiators and noninitiators. Those who self-identified as Hispanic were less likely to initiate PFPT when compared with non-Hispanic patients, although this only trended toward significance (odds ratio 0.40, 95% confidence interval 0.14-1.09; exact P = .078).

CONCLUSIONS

Two-thirds (66%) of patients initiated PFPT but less than one-third (29%) completed the treatment course. There appears to be an opportunity to augment PFPT attendance, as well as explore racial disparities in attendance.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.