In an interview with HAUSARZT PRAXIS, PD Dr. med. André Reitz of the KontinenzZentrum Hirslanden, Zurich, provides information about his blog kontinenzzentrum.blogspot.ch, which he has been running since summer 2013. Particularly for those affected and their relatives, the site provides up-to-date information on all aspects of incontinence, including the latest findings on therapy, prevention and diagnosis.
Dr. Reitz, how long have you been running the blog on urinary incontinence?
Dr. Reitz: I uploaded the first post in July 2013. The idea for this new blog ultimately arose from the fact that I have been running another blog for quite some time, namely since 2007: maennergesundheit.blogspot.ch. At the time, there was little reliable information on men’s health, so I wanted to contribute to better education myself. I also frequently put up content on the topic of “urinary incontinence” there and finally came to the decision that it made sense to separate out the thematic area. Also because the other blog only addresses men, but incontinence is a relevant issue for both genders, including children by the way. The entire interest group is consequently better covered with the new blog.
Approximately how many posts do you upload per month?
Monthly there are about one to two posts. On the one hand, I don’t have time to upload more, and on the other hand, I believe it’s better to focus on quality over quantity. I link the posts to my Facebook page and thus get to see how many people have seen the respective post and which topics are obviously attracting interest. So I can limit myself well to the relevant.
Is the blog mainly aimed at physicians or those affected?
I would say it is basically aimed at anyone who is interested. Nevertheless, medical laypersons are the main target audience: the blog is written in patient-friendly layman’s language, foreign words tend to be avoided and are otherwise well explained. In this way, the site can provide particularly those affected and their relatives with valuable information, for example, on new or alternative therapy options and research findings. Be it parents with a child suffering from enuresis, women with a husband whom they want to help because he has been sitting around depressed at home since his prostate operation, or athletic women aged 50 who lose urine while playing tennis: The entire spectrum of those directly and indirectly affected should be able to find information here.
Therapy recommendations in the area of urinary incontinence are therefore also part of the blog?
Absolutely. If there is a new method that I find promising and worth mentioning, that is definitely an issue. Of course, the blog is not a substitute for a consultation, but a source of information. Nevertheless, the informed patient may talk to his or her doctor about it afterwards and a productive discussion may ensue.
A practical example: After radical removal of the prostate, many men are incontinent. Numerous family doctors and urologists are still of the opinion that there is hardly anything that can be done about it. Pelvic floor training is of no use and only in cases of very high suffering is the installation of an artificial sphincter an option. Patients may unquestioningly adopt this opinion from their physician, even though it is wrong in principle. In the right hands, pelvic floor training does show good results, and in addition to the artificial sphincter, there are various other methods that could be used, but most of which are not so well known. For example, there are other prosthesis models that the patient should be aware of. For example, in my first post I write about the ATOMS implant. I’ll probably revisit this therapy option soon and upload a little video showing what to think of it.
The blog thus becomes an alternative source of information for the patient and ensures that he not only knows the widespread standard in therapy, but can also discuss procedures beyond this with his doctor, e.g. by printed post.
The time required to maintain such a site and keep it up to date at all times is probably not to be underestimated. How can such an activity be combined with your full-time job or what is your motivation to run a blog?
On the one hand, the entire presence on the Internet lives from linking, so contributions can be offered on different platforms. When I write a post, I produce content for various portals at the same time. This keeps the effort within limits.
On the other hand, with time you have a certain routine, which shortens the writing work.
So in the end, blogging is entertainment and fun for me and doesn’t represent real work that puts an extra burden on me.
What are the advantages of the Internet, and social media in particular, for you to drive information around the topic of incontinence?
Basically, the topic of incontinence is strongly tabooed. When playing golf, people may talk about back pain, hip arthritis and high blood pressure, but not incontinence. It therefore makes sense to provide well-prepared, factually correct information that is also suitable for laypersons, so that patients can obtain information via the Internet.
As the name suggests, social media rely on interactive exchange. There is a comment function on the blog. How do you handle this feature?
The comment function is hardly used on the blog so far. This contrasts with the many visits and is certainly due to the fact that the subject is heavily tabooed. When I recently shared one of my blog posts about incontinence in MS on the Facebook page of the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Society, that post also had no comments, while other posts had lively discussions. Apparently, people find it awkward to speak out. The information arrives, but the interactive exchange is very sparse. Here, Switzerland lags behind other countries, especially the U.S., where interactivity is much more intense than in this country. Maybe it’s also more difficult in a small country because more people know you.
What are the reactions of your professional colleagues when you learn about your virtual engagement?
There is still a tendency to underestimate the importance of virtual engagement. Too little attention is paid to the opportunities and future development of patient information behavior offered by the Internet. I see that in the reactions of other physicians as well. However, in the end there is no way around the Internet and therefore it is already a fact, especially for such a taboo subject, and will also come more and more, that people inform themselves about their suffering. It is better for them to find carefully prepared information from experts than poorly founded comments in some forum. Internet presence, in addition to personal recommendations, is playing an increasingly important role in the choice of doctor. People are less and less likely to use Yellow Pages to choose a suitable medical professional.
Interview: Andreas Grossmann
HAUSARZT PRAXIS 2014; 9(1): 12
