A teaching protocol on Prostatism to empower patients for better urological health

Abstract

Background: There is limited understanding of the prostate and its disorders among the aging males who suffer the condition. Healthcare workers are also not adequately trained to teach patients on prostatism. This paper presents a teaching protocol on prostatism based on patient educational and health seeking behaviour. A pilot study yielded good outcomes on understanding the prostate and its disorders. Objective: To develop and pretest a teaching protocol on prostatism Design: An interventional approach following a cross-sectional study on patient educational and health seeking behaviour. Setting: The Urology Clinic of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret- Kenya. Subjects: One hundred and twenty-six consenting men aged 50 years and above presenting with prostatism. Results: Forty-six percent of the patients had no formal education and 55.9% of those who went to school had less than or equal to 7years of primary education. A quarter of the patients (25.4%) were aware of the prostate and its disorders. There was co-morbidity and complication rates of 23.8% and 7.1% respectively. Those taught using the protocol had varied levels of understanding that improved with higher levels of formal education. All the patients, irrespective of education level, considered themselves empowered by the teaching to lead better life. Conclusion: This Teaching Protocol on Prostatism can educate patients with prostatism to understand the prostate, its disorders and basis for symptoms as well as empowering them to have better urological health.