Eszter Kacskovics

Editors’ Note: This blog is part 2 of a series on the MEAT value-based procurement project, an initiative that advocates towards a shift from price-based procurement of medical technology towards value-based procurement. It does so by defining a Most Economically Advantageous Tendering (MEAT) framework that includes the value of medical technologies, services and solutions in procurement […]

When it comes to speaking about diseases and their impact on patients, carers and families, we don’t normally jump at the chance to talk about incontinence. Many people are embarrassed to discuss it – whether it be from their own experience, from supporting family members suffering from it, or because it just isn’t as sexy as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (which have similar prevalence rates). But we need to talk about incontinence.

Incontinence is a condition that often gets associated with age. When we think about incontinence we tend to think first about elderly people and that’s normal because over 60% of nursing home residents are affected with some kind of incontinence (from mild to severe). However, European studies estimate that between 4% and 8% of the total population are affected, regardless of age. As our populations grow older, it is fair to say that more and more people will suffer from it. This could be your neighbour’s condition and you wouldn’t even know about it!