On March 19, 2022, IUGA hosted its first virtual Public Forum. Historically, IUGA has held an in-person Public Forum in conjunction with its Annual Meeting to provide members of the public with the opportunity to learn more about a selected urogynecological topic through presentations from both practitioners and patients.
The March 19 event focused on urinary incontinence. It included 5 presentations by practitioners (4 physicians and a physiotherapist) which mirrored the patient journey from diagnosis through treatment. A member of IUGA’s Patient Advisory Council, Toni Abulafi, also shared her personal story as part of the program. The presenters were Duncan Shannon (Australia), Visha Tailor (UK), Colette Pollard (UK), Omar Duenas Garcia (USA), and Kalaivani Ramalingam (UK).
298 individuals registered for the Public Forum; this number included attendees of the IUGA Virtual International Symposium held on March 12-13. Of those registrants, 107 individuals representing 12 countries attended the live session. The recording of this Public Forum will be made available for viewing on the IUGA Patient Website, www.YourPelvicFloor.org. It is expected to be available online beginning in April.
Evaluation feedback was positive. Of note:
- 29% of respondents said attending this session helped them to better understand urinary incontinence/leakage.
- 4 respondents who are currently experiencing urinary incontinence said that attending this Public Forum will encourage them to seek help.
- 97.06% of respondents said they would recommend attending a Public Forum to others.