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The University of Southampton
Health Sciences

University of Southampton in joint venture to launch independent continence product advice website

Published: 11 July 2013

The International Consultation on Incontinence, in a joint venture with the International Continence Society, has announced the launch of the Continence Product Advisor, a new website jointly created by University of Southampton researchers, providing evidence-based guidance on how to select appropriate products for managing incontinence and use them effectively.

www.continenceproductadvisor.org

A joint venture between the International Consultation on Incontinence and the International Continence Society, the Continence Product Advisor was created by an editorial team based at University College London and the University of Southampton in partnership with a web design team at the ICS office in Bristol.

Based on the findings of the recently published fifth International Consultation on Incontinence, it aims to make independent, evidence-based advice available and accessible to incontinence product users first and foremost, but also to healthcare professionals, purchasers and manufacturers. It is:

  • Independent: written and reviewed by continence healthcare professionals and users of continence products.
  • Evidence-based: where possible content is based on evidence (or expert opinion if evidence is lacking) with references to sources.
  • Generic: focuses on product designs and types without reference to branded products, except when essential.
  • Not-for-profit: no advertising is displayed, the development and maintenance of the website is funded through educational grants.
  • International: linked to information in different countries for supplementary local advice on product availability, guidelines and regulations.

Mandy Fader, Professor at University of Southampton stated that "Many people don't realise that for most people it's not just about one product, it's about several different types of products e.g. for going out, travelling, in the home and at night. These combinations of products can enormously improve quality of life for people who have to live with incontinence."

An interactive online "product advisor" tool shows the person which products will work best for their specific needs. It also includes a top tips section where patients can share their top tips for using a product in different circumstances e.g. when travelling, which will help other patients when using products. It will be continuously updated by the community so that the information included on each product is richer, as it is based on actual experiences.

Notes for editors

Notes to Editors

1. For further information, contact the International Continence Society, 19 Portland Square, Bristol, BS2 8SJ, T: 0117 9444 881; F: 0117 9444 882; E: media@ics.org; W: www.ics.org

2. The International Continence Society was founded in 1971 by Eric Glen under the name of the "Continent Club" and held its first annual meeting the same year in Exeter. Since 1971 the Society has gone on to publish many reports and retains the copyright, enabling them to be published in a range of international journals.

3. In 1998 the Society was set up as a UK Charity under the guidance of Paul Abrams and now boasts a membership of around 3,000 members from 88 different countries. The ICS emphasises its multi-disciplinary approach with membership covering many different disciplines, including: physicians, surgeons, nurses, urologists, physiotherapists, gynaecologists, physicists and scientists.

4. The ICS is a membership Society aimed at medical professionals working in or with an interest in the field of incontinence.

5. The ICS aims to provide education and advancement of sciences concerned with urinary tract and pelvic dysfunction including urology, neurourology, gynaecology and urodynamics.

6. The Society promotes research into the causes, remedies and relief of incontinence and provides access to the results of that research via website, email, post, telephone, paper publication, newsletters and presentations, annual congresses and education courses. The Society also works to standardise terminology and guidelines surrounding incontinence.

7. The Continence Product Advisor website address is www.continenceproductadvisor.org/

8. A website introduction video is available on ICS TV and The Continence Product Advisor Website featuring ICS Office IT Director Dominic Turner and ICI Committee Member Mandy Fader; http://www.continenceproductadvisor.org/about

http://www.continenceproductadvisor.org/
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