User perception of a new hydrophilic-coated male urinary catheter for intermittent use.
Ingrid Koeter, Gro Stensröd, Aud Hunsbedt Nilsen and 5 others
PMID 30534401WHAT IT FOUND
After 8 weeks, 72% of male patients still used the hydrophilic catheter, and 81% were satisfied.
Nurses teaching intermittent self-catheterization can ask about no-touch insertion, portability and ready-to-use design.
Key findings
01After 8 weeks, 72% of the 365 patients who returned the follow-up questionnaire were still using the hydrophilic-coated catheter.
0299% of patients still using the catheter reported satisfaction, compared with 64% of those who stopped using it.
03Patients most often said the catheter was hygienic, ready to use and easy to carry.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was an observational survey, not a randomised comparison, so it cannot show that the catheter caused higher adherence or better clinical outcomes. The patient questionnaires were not formally tested for reliability or validity, and some answers were missing. Patients were self-selected, and the paper says it is impossible to know whether they represented all people who need intermittent catheterization. The group that rated the hydrophilic catheter included new users, while the previous-catheter comparison came from 179 patients with prior experience, so the two groups were not equivalent. The study had no formal sample size estimation.
Declared interests
The catheter was made by Wellspect HealthCare, and the questionnaire content drew on the manufacturer's product development experience. The paper states that no free catheter samples were provided beyond standard care and that payment and reimbursement followed standard routines.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 72% continued use as proof that this catheter improves bladder care or prevents complications. The study observed patients already prescribed the catheter, used nonvalidated questionnaires, and the authors say specific causality conclusions about features and adherence are difficult.