56. What Incontinence Users Want from Their Products with Alan Cottenden

Daily management of incontinence can be complicated. Many sufferers rely on absorbent hygiene products to cope with their condition. Although their experiences vary widely, some needs (leak protection, discretion, and affordability, etc.) are fairly common. How well these are met can make or break the product users’ trust in a brand forever.

So how can producers better serve consumers? One simple approach is to talk to product users. In this episode of ‘Attached to Hygiene’, host Jack Hughes revisits an earlier discussion featuring guest moderator Alan Cottenden who spoke with a user panel from Europe. As Emeritus Professor of Incontinence Technology at University College London, Alan has extensive expertise with incontinence products and user experience.

Panellists Tonneke, Chris, and Rebecca relate how current market products help them live more active lives. They also explore what innovations they hope to see in the future from the market.

Managing incontinence with absorbent hygiene products

Incontinence affects an individual's daily life on many levels and to differing degrees. For some, it is just a small ‘oops’ during a sneeze or other physical activity. For others, it can be a sudden and complete release of the bladder or bowels. To live as normally as possible, users rely on a product's effectiveness for absorption, odour control, and more.

Methods for coping are many, from choosing particular clothes (and bringing spares), to planning their agendas around bathroom breaks. The absorbent hygiene products they use are a key aspect of their planning. Some shift between as many as 5 or 6 different articles depending on planned activities. And, whilst users appreciate recent product improvements, each has a wish list that would make living with incontinence just a bit easier.

Outline of the Episode

• [04:49] Understanding user experience helps you address their concerns
• [06:03] Introduction of panellists and their conditions
• [12:57] Incontinence of any type can limit options or make living a full life difficult
• [16:38] Secrecy, discretion, and the reactions of others to incontinence
• [22:51] The panellists’ experiences … Do current products meet their needs?
• [29:14] Skin health and managing issues caused by incontinence
• [33:05] Changes that would improve user experience with incontinence products
• [39:00] Why consumers may mix and match various product types
• [43:42] Users want more sustainable products, but they can’t sacrifice performance or afford expensive solutions
• [49:51] The impact of a product’s appearance on discretion and attitude

Resources

You can find Alan on LinkedIn. You may wish to leave him a message through our email at [e-mail].

If you'd like to donate to any of the preferred charities of our panellists,