Urinary incontinence in stroke survivors – Development of a programme theory

Aims and objectives: To develop, in an inpatient rehabilitation setting, a programme theory that promotes continence in people who have suffered a stroke. Background: Urinary incontinence in stroke survivors impacts the quality of life, rehabilitation outcomes and ultimately incurred costs of the patient. Different approaches are available for developing and testing complex interventions. Design: Building a research-based programme theory. Methods: To elaborate the intervention, a guidance for developing a complex intervention for nursing was chosen and the sources that should be considered were defined. Subsequently, a research-based programme theory was generated that was represented via a theoretical approach logic model. This study was guided by the checklist for reporting theory of change in public health interventions. Results: The intervention consists of six parts with three outcome chains on interconnected levels, which are oriented towards patients and nurses. The important aspects of the programme theory are communication, individually tailored measures and the definition of interdisciplinary objectives. Conclusion: Developing a programme theory and representing it via a logic model help clarify the initial intervention and ensure that implementation strategies are well thought out. Relevance to clinical practice: By employing detailed reflection and using previous research, it is expected that the intervention can be implemented successfully and its effectiveness can be investigated in more depth.