Understanding patient and healthcare provider perspectives of uncomplicated urinary tract infection: patient journey, disease management, and the impact of antimicrobial resistance.

Abstract

Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs/acute cystitis) carry a substantial physical and psychological burden that negatively impacts patient quality-of-life, particularly for those who experience recurrent infection. A disconnect can exist between patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs), leading to poor patient-HCP communication, suboptimal treatment, and feelings of frustration and anxiety for many patients. The views of four patient authors with recurrent UTI or chronic uUTI and two HCP authors managing patients with this disease are presented in this Patient Perspectives article. While HCPs recognize both the physical and mental impacts of recurrent uUTIs, most HCPs focus on relieving a patient's physical symptoms, often resulting in the psychological impact being overlooked. Inadequate testing, lengthy diagnostic procedures, and treatment failure caused by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) further exacerbate the problems associated with uUTIs, limiting the effectiveness of treatment options for patients. Enhancing education for patients and HCPs on AMR and the reasons why treatment failure might occur could improve the discourse between HCPs and patients, leading to improvements in the overall patient experience.