COM Outlook Spring 2019

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 39 Nicole Cook is an associate professor of public health, and Elizabeth Hames is an assistant professor of geriatrics. They learned that, while patients are embarrassed to speak to their doctors, providers are also uncom- fortable discussing BI. Moreover, many often do not feel they have the clinical skills to treat the con- dition. Faculty members also learned that many patients simply change their lifestyles to accom- modate their symptoms. Some patients stopped taking their medications completely without telling their providers. Other patients arranged their eating, sleeping, and activity schedule around the bathroom—always fearful of BI. To address some of these issues, consortium members worked together to develop patient-informed educational materials, which were tested for accept- ability among patients in primary care offices in both North Carolina and Miami, Florida. The materials are public and available to anyone by contacting Nicole Cook at nc570@nova.edu . Together, doctors, patients, and clinical faculty members can reduce the shame and silence around this affliction. o TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BOWEL INCONTINENCE, PLEASE VISIT niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/bowel-control-problems-fecal-incontinence. PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VISIT iffgd.org/lower-gi-disorders/bowel-incontinence.html.