Many men develop urine leakage after radical prostatectomy. Usually it is temporary, but pelvic floor muscle training including bladder control strategies has been shown to reduce the severity of incontinence and reduce the time to regaining continence. This study will test an evidence-based pelvic floor muscle training program that has been adapted to telehealth format and pilot tested in a VA-funded pilot/developmental trial. Training is begun 1-4 weeks before surgery and continued 6 months after surgery. Content is accessed on a secure website in daily 10-minute sessions which transition to weekly sessions for post-operative months 3-6. In the investigators' pilot study, Veterans reported that they appreciated receiving the training in the privacy of their homes, enjoyed the interactive style of the learning experience, and felt better prepared to deal with urine leakage and empowered with new knowledge and skills to help themselves.
This study is a randomized, controlled trial of the telehealth-delivered, evidence-based, intervention developed in the pilot/developmental study. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to treatment or to a control group. Content for both control and treatment groups includes general information about prostate cancer; perioperative care; wetness, odor and skin care management. The treatment group will ALSO receive pelvic floor muscle training and bladder control strategies. Outcomes are measured with brief validated questions administered by the telehealth platform, and again at 9 and 12 months by mailed questionnaire or the telehealth platform.
