(Providence, RI) – Women & Infants Hospital is pleased to announce that it has been approved for research funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to extend a study on treatment for urgency urinary incontinence. Led by Vivian Sung, MD, MPH, this study will compare the long-term effectiveness of beta-agonist oral medication versus onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox).
Even though UUI is a long-term condition, there are minimal long-term studies about patient preferences and outcomes after treatment with either beta-agonist medication or onabotulinumtoxinA. This additional PCORI funding will allow researchers to follow participants who were randomly selected to receive either beta-agonist or onabotulinumtoxinA for up to five years, providing much-needed long-term data. The study will help determine long-term treatment continuation, barriers to long-term incontinence care, and the cost burden to patients related to incontinence care. There are 5 participating sites, including the University of New Mexico, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of San Diego, and Howard University, with Women and Infants serving as the primary site.
“This funding will not only advance research for urgency urinary incontinence but will explore barriers and solutions for long-term incontinence care to help improve the quality of life for so many patients,” said Dr. Vivian Sung, Urogynecologist, Women & Infants Hospital. “This support will allow us to continue partnering with our patients, communities, and stakeholders to help uncover better solutions for those suffering with incontinence in today’s world.”
The study was designed through collaborations between patients, community members, stakeholders, and researchers. Patient, community, and stakeholder engagement will remain a priority throughout the study. The extended study will support continued education, resources, and presence with our community partners. Community leaders will also provide guidance on outreach strategies to raise awareness about urgency urinary incontinence and available treatment options.
This study is among several PCORI has funded focused on examining the longer-term outcomes of interventions in comparative clinical effectiveness research. The impact of health interventions can take years to appear, but shorter follow-up periods are still the norm for many studies. With long-term follow-up funding, this study has the potential to produce a more comprehensive understanding of urgency urinary incontinence treatment to help patients and health care professionals better make decisions about treatment.
This award has been approved pending completion of a business and programmatic review by PCORI and issuance of a formal award contract.
PCORI is a nonprofit organization with a mission to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions.
About Women & Infants Hospital
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. A major teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics, as well as a number of specialized programs in women’s medicine, Women & Infants is the ninth largest stand-alone obstetrical service in the country and the largest in New England with approximately 8,700 deliveries per year. Women & Infants is a Designated Baby-Friendly® USA hospital and was recently ranked by Newsweek as one of America's Best Maternity Hospitals in 2024. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology ranked 11 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Medical Schools specialty ranking.
Women & Infants has been designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiography; a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology; and a Neonatal Resource Services Center of Excellence. It is one of the largest and most prestigious research facilities in high-risk and normal obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics in the nation, and is a member of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network, and Pelvic Floors Disorders Network, as well as the National Cancer Institute’s Gynecologic Oncology Group.
Copyright © 2023 Care New England Health System