The 'costs' of urinary incontinence.

Urinary incontinence is a prevalent and costly health condition. This paper discusses the 'costs' of untreated urinary incontinence. Costs are broadly conceptualised within a framework which includes physical, psychosocial, and economical components. Limited data is available documenting the different costs of incontinence. Further research is needed to better quantify these costs to aid clinicians, payers, and public policy-makers in decision-making related to incontinence management.